A Beginner's Guide to a Complete Bar
This short list will take your cocktails surprisingly far.
By Erin Henderson
A friend of mine had a rental clothing business that used the tag line, “less stuff, more life.”
A quick Google search of that phrase results in about 1,440,000,000 results. The top hits, not surprisingly, are for personal development websites promising to bolster your experiences, whilst exorcising your belongings.
I live in a 700 square foot condo. It’s a decent size that I’m quite happy with (the weekly deep-clean takes about 90 minutes, and the spring and fall super-deep clean only requires half a day), but it does mean I must be ruthless with my inventory. Before buying clothes or decorative bowls or towels, I really must consider if they’re needed, and if they are what might I be willing to part with in order to make room for such a new toy?
Listen: I’m no Marie Kondo. Put me in a HomeSense and I turn into the Tasmanian Devil – a whirling tornado of Need! Want! Must Have! chaos. However, over the years, I have learned it's easier to wrestle my weakness for home goods into submission, rather than fight bulging cupboards. (And I no longer allow myself to go near a HomeSense.)
And that includes my barware. I make cocktails almost every day. Some shaken. Some stirred. And the below list is all I’ve ever needed to create an inviting drink.
Cocktail Shaker & Strainer
I like to use a metal bottom and glass top, as I find metal on metal always fuses together, holding my drink inside as hostage. I also use a Hawthorne strainer – a spring lined disc, for simple and easy pouring.
Fine Mesh Cocktail Sieve
Sometimes I like to double strain, like I did in this video for a watermelon mint daiquiri. Fine mesh sieves help catch the finer pieces of herbs or ice floating in a drink you’d rather have silky-smooth.
Mixing Glass
This is quite a show piece so it’s nice to have it to display on your bar cart, if you have one. For cocktails that require stirring (martinis, Manhattans, negronis etc.) this is the vehicle you need. Of course, you could always get away with a mason jar or a pint glass and no one will be the wiser.
Long Barspoon
I have a few of these that I’ve accumulated over the years. These long-handled wands get right to the bottom of the mixing glass for graceful stirring. Some even double as muddlers, with the handle topped by a flat disc which is really quite ingenious for the space strapped. But truth be told, I often find a chop stick is much easier to use in moving the ice through the glass.
Muddler
A wooden club, of sorts, meant to bash fruits and herbs to release juices, aromatics, and oils. If you don’t have one you can always use the handle of a wooden spoon or end of a rolling pin.
Citrus Squeezer
I’m generally not a stickler for much, but I must insist upon fresh juice for cocktails. It’s a tiny step for maximum flavour. Get a good citrus squeezer for less than $10 and make better drinks.
Jigger
This is a two-sided measuring glass made for bar service. I have a few simple ones that measure one ounce on one side and a half ounce on the other side. Fun fact: they’re called jiggers after the jiggermast, the smallest mast on a naval ship. It became the term used for a sailor’s daily rum ration and the cup it was served in. If you don’t have a jigger, you can get away with a shot glass or even a measuring cup.
Waiter’s Corkscrew and Bottle Opener
If you’re going to pick just one, go for the waiter’s corkscrew. It has a hook on the handle purposely designed for opening crown-cap bottles.
King Cube Ice Trays
These ice trays make large ice cubes suitable for spirit-forward drinks like an Old Fashioned or Manhattan. I got mine at the dollar store. If you don’t have one, a silicone muffin tray works beautifully.
