Back to Making Cocktails at Home

Cocktail equipment

To make great drinks at home, you’ll need a few key pieces of cocktail equipment for your home bar.

You don’t need to get everything at once, and we’ll even show you how to make use of items in your kitchen if you’re caught without a piece you need. With the right knowledge, you can make anything work.

Here’s our guide to your cocktail equipment essentials.

Shakers

There are many different shapes and styles, you can even use a jam jar in a pinch. Whichever you prefer, or have to hand, they’re all used to do the same thing, rigorously fold ingredients and ice together to deliver perfectly shaken cocktails. 

So what are your options and which should you choose? Read more here

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Mixing vessels

Although you wouldn’t work a professional bar with a jam jar as a cocktail shaker, when it comes to choosing a mixing jug, the line is more blurred. 

Some of the best bars in the world actually don’t follow the usual path when it comes to mixing jugs, and repurpose some rather interesting options.

So, here’s our take on what you might like to equip yourself with, and some interesting ideas of what you might like to try beyond the usual.

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Stirrers

The bar spoon is arguably the most important piece of equipment in your tool kit and yet do you even need one?

It might sound like a ridiculous question on the surface of it, however we’ll show that you do have a number of interesting choices for your consideration.

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Blenders

From time-to-time, everyone needs a blender in their life. Unlike most other pieces of cocktail kit, there’s not really any alternatives we can suggest to you here, you just need to treat yourself.

They’re well worth the investment though, as they’re a versatile piece of equipment that can be used for making soups, smoothies and of course, glorious frozen cocktails!

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Muddlers

Without a muddler you can’t crush limes to make Caipirinhas, you can’t smoosh fresh soft fruits to make a twist on a Collins or Buck, and you won’t be able to pound citrus peel and sea salt together to make our Skinny Margarita.

What sort of muddler you need will depend on what ingredients you want to muddle. There are a number of options, and we’ll show you just how much you can do with a rolling pin!

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Strainers

There are three key types of strainer you need. You can get away with just two, but if you’re into cocktails and want to make a broad selection of drinks, eventually you’re going to want all three. 

Each one plays a different role depending on the required drinks-making technique and ingredients you’re using.

Texture is also really important when it comes to cocktails, and the humble strainer has a huge impact on both the look and texture of the final drink.

So, here’s what you need to know:

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Jigger

The simple liquid measuring device that’s essential for accurately following cocktail recipes. 

As with all bar tools, personal preference comes into play when choosing a style. Some people prefer a ‘Bell’ shaped jigger while others prefer a shorter, wider v-shaped double ended jigger.

If you’re at home in a pinch, or if you’re batching, you can use all sorts of things to measure ingredients, like measuring cups or shot glasses. Especially when you follow a recipe broken down into its base ratio, or ‘parts’

We’ll take you through the options:

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Glassware

We say ‘Glassware’ and yet drinks are served in many different vessels, especially these days. 

What a vessel is made from, how thick it is, its shape and size, will all have an impact on the drink itself. We wholeheartedly encourage you to get creative with what you use, but you’ll also need to pick up some essentials too.

Here’s our guide to essential cocktail glassware for your home bar.

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