The Strainer
Ah, the strainer. Every bartender's unsung hero. If you're serious about not serving up a surprise ice cube in your cocktail (or, heaven forbid, an unwelcome lemon seed) this little tool is your new best friend.
A bar or Hawthorne strainer is your go-to for keeping that ice and wayward ingredients inside the shaker or mixing glass, safely away from your delicate drink. No one wants to sip on a mojito and suddenly crunch into a chunk of frozen water or have a rogue mint leaf sneak in like it's trying to crash your party.
In short: Don't let your drink be a mystery—equip yourself with a strainer. Your friends will thank you for it.
The Marriage of The Mixing Glass and Bar Spoon
When it comes to crafting the perfect stirred cocktail, the mixing glass and bar spoon are a match made in bartending heaven.
The mixing glass is the workhorse. It's the vessel where all the magic happens. As long as it holds about 2 cups of liquid, it doesn’t care if it’s a fancy crystal tumbler or your grandma’s old pitcher. But let’s be real — a mixing glass with a spout or a ridged rim is a game-changer. No one wants ice sneaking into their glass like it’s trying to crash the party uninvited.
Now, enter the bar spoon. It’s long, sleek, and downright suave. With its small bowl and extended handle, this tool allows you to muddle, stir, and swirl with the kind of grace you didn’t know you had. And let’s be honest — a stylish bar spoon? Yeah, it’s going to make you look like a pro, maybe even a little mysterious. You’ll be stirring like you're in a fancy movie montage, and everyone will be watching. You're basically James Bond, but for cocktails (you know, if he stirred).
Together, the mixing glass and bar spoon are the dynamic duo you didn’t know you needed. Tall glass, long spoon—sounds like a match made in cocktail heaven. It’s all about balance, elegance, and making your drink look like it belongs in a Pinterest post.
The Jigger
A cocktail jigger: the unsung hero of the bar world! It's like the measuring spoon of the cocktail realm, but with a little more swagger. This small, dual-sided hourglass-shaped tool is what bartenders use to measure out the perfect amounts of alcohol and mixers, ensuring your drink is balanced to perfection.
Typically, a jigger has a larger side holding 1.5 ounces (45ml) and a smaller side holding 1 ounce (30ml) of liquid goodness. It’s like the bartender's version of a speedometer—keeping things on track without causing a spill. Jiggers come in various sizes, like the 1 ounce and ½ ounce combo or the 1 ½ ounces and ¾ ounce setup. But don’t stress about being a measurement master—if you can keep the proportions the same, you can use whichever jigger you like. It’s like cooking, but with fewer chances to burn yourself.
Accurate measurement is crucial in cocktail making, and the jigger makes it easy for bartenders to mix ingredients in the correct proportions, ensuring your drink is on point every time. Whether you're mixing drinks at home or in a professional setting, a jigger is your best friend—helping you make sure that when you’re 3 drinks in, you can still say, "I have everything under control!"