Essential Home Bar Tools: What You Actually Need

The five essentials

These are the tools you'll reach for in almost every drink. Here's how often each one comes up across our 113 recipes:

• Jigger — used in every recipe (113 of 113). Measuring is the single biggest difference between a so-so drink and a great one.
• Bar spoon — 65 recipes. For stirring, building drinks in the glass and layering.
• Citrus press — 69 recipes. Fresh juice beats bottled every time.
• Shaker — 41 recipes. Most drinks served up with citrus, cream or egg white get shaken; tall fizzy drinks are usually built right in the glass.
• Hawthorne strainer — 41 recipes. Goes with the shaker to hold back the ice.

• Cocktail shakerChills, mixes and dilutes shaken drinks in about 12 seconds. A two-piece Boston shaker is the bartender standard.
• JiggerA double-sided measure so every drink comes out the same. Look for one marked in ½ and ¼ oz.
• Hawthorne strainerThe spring-edged strainer that holds back ice when you pour from a shaker.
• Bar spoonA long, thin spoon for stirring, layering and fishing out cherries.
• Citrus pressSqueezes fresh lemon and lime fast — fresh juice is the biggest upgrade you can make.

Which shaker should you buy?

There are three common styles:

• Boston shaker — two tins (or a tin and a glass) that fit together. It's what most bartenders use: it seals well, chills fast and is easy to clean. Pair it with a Hawthorne strainer.
• Cobbler shaker — three pieces with a built-in strainer and cap. Beginner-friendly, but the lid can stick when it gets cold and the built-in strainer is slow.
• Parisian (French) shaker — two metal pieces, elegant and easy to use, but still needs a separate strainer.

If you're buying one, a weighted two-tin Boston shaker is the most versatile choice.

Worth adding next

Add these when your favorite drinks call for them:

• Mixing glass + julep strainer — for stirred, spirit-forward drinks like the Manhattan, Negroni and Martini (6 recipes).
• Muddler — for Mojitos, Juleps and smashes (8 recipes).
• Fine-mesh strainer — for double straining egg-white sours and drinks with herbs (11 recipes).
• Y-peeler — for clean citrus twists with no bitter pith (17 recipes).

• Mixing glassA heavy glass for stirred drinks like the Manhattan, so they chill without getting cloudy.
• Julep strainerA spoon-shaped strainer that sits inside a mixing glass for stirred drinks.
• MuddlerGently presses mint, fruit or sugar to release flavor. Press, don't pulverize.
• Fine-mesh strainerCatches ice chips, pulp and herb bits for a silky drink — used for double straining.
• Y-peelerCuts wide citrus peels for twists and expressed oils with no bitter pith.

Nice extras (not required)

• Blender — only for frozen drinks (8 recipes). The one in your kitchen is fine.
• Large ice cube molds — big cubes melt slowly and look great in an Old Fashioned or Negroni.
• Ice bag and mallet — for crushed ice in Juleps, smashes and tiki drinks. A clean dish towel and a rolling pin work too.
• Pitcher or punch bowl — for batching drinks for a crowd. See our party planning guide.

No gear yet? Kitchen swaps

You don't need to buy anything to start making good drinks tonight:

• Shaker: a clean jar with a tight lid, like a mason jar.
• Jigger: measuring spoons — 1 tablespoon = ½ oz, so 3 tablespoons = 1½ oz.
• Strainer: hold the jar lid slightly open, or use a small kitchen sieve.
• Bar spoon: any long spoon or a chopstick.
• Muddler: the handle end of a wooden spoon or a rolling pin.
• Citrus press: squeeze by hand over a small sieve to catch seeds.

Glassware basics

Two shapes cover most drinks: a rocks glass (24 recipes) and a highball glass (25 recipes). Add a coupe for drinks served without ice. After that, buy glasses for the drinks you make most.

• Rocks glassShort and sturdy — for spirit-forward drinks and sours over ice.
• Highball glassTall and straight for long, fizzy mixed drinks over ice.
• CoupeThe stemmed, rounded glass for drinks served up, without ice.

Care tips

• Rinse tools right after use, especially after citrus, cream or egg white.
• Hand-wash anything with a coiled spring (like a Hawthorne strainer) so it keeps its shape.
• Dry stainless steel tools straight away to avoid water spots.
• Don't put wooden muddlers in the dishwasher — they crack.