We’re a little ashamed that we haven’t covered some of the basics about building your home bar here on American Drink. So when Cary, aka Monkeyfrog, asked us via email how to decently stock her home bar, we figured our long-ass response would make a pretty decent Part One.
Before we get to the shopping list though, here’s an appeal from the heart: Please don’t spend a lot for bar tools. If your city has a restaurant supply store, and you still haven’t visited, GO. Stick a Jackson in your sock and you’ll walk out with every item here, save for glassware, plus change.
This ain’t golf or flyfishing or even cooking. More expensive equipment doesn’t mean better results. After all, you can’t drink a $12 strainer. So spend wisely on your gear and blow the savings where it’ll make a difference - in your liquor cabinet.
The Shaker
Albert McMurry – So you’ll need a good shaker. If you don’t have one, just look for a metal one that’s anywhere from 24 to 36 ounces. They usually come in three parts with the top being the strainer and the cap is the 2 oz jigger. Word of warning: Don’t prep a drink in the shaker and put the lid and the cap on thinking it will be water-tight. It won’t be for long and you and your kitchen will be covered in little bits of your delicious drink. You’ll like drinking less when you’re cleaning Tom Collins jizz off your ceiling the next day. Nobody wants that.
You also need a pint glass. Like a beer pint glass. You could also use a highball.
J.T. Dobbs – So a shaker. Yeah, what Albert said. Me, I use a Boston-style like the one I was reared on, with a plain-old pint glass. I prefer this to the 3-piece leisure pad rig which is kinda clumsy, leaky, never fits together right, and is often thinner and so doesn’t get as cold. Plus, pouring and muddling in the clear glass lets you to see what’s going on, and all that room inside means nuclear shaking power for colder, more aerated drinks.
Kim Lisagor - J.T. likes the Boston-style shaker for all the right reasons. I prefer the 3-piece shaker because the built-in strainer shaves precious seconds off my production time and because it fits better in my dainty lady hands.
The Muddler
A.M. – If you have access to a ship’s peg or got a mini-bat from bat night at a baseball game, go ahead and use that.
J.T.D. – When you want your drinks to be the best, you have to muddle with the best. That’s why I only use the L.L. Bean 11” Hand-Carved Bone Muddler. It’s fashioned from real Andalusian Snow Goat femur, so you know it’s quality.
Nah, I use wood. Found it at my supply store for like $1. When it gets too stained, I’ll just sell a kid and replace it.
K.L. - I like this one. Do you need to spend $10 on a muddler? Of course not. Sure is pretty, though, and it will last longer than your woody.
The Strainer
A.M. – They’re those goofy looking things with the spring on the outside. They’re pretty handy. Don’t use the top of the shaker set because they always leak. Nobody likes that. That’s precious drink winding up on the counter. (That you eventually lap up like some kind of dog. What’s wrong with you?)
J.T.D. – Some folks say two prongs’ll do ya. But once you get the feel of a good four-pronger? Sheeit. You’ll know where that extra 80-cents went. But yeah, no. Restaurant supply store. You can pick one up cheap, and make sure it fits nicely on top of the shaker.
K.L. - Maybe the take-home is that if you’re going to get a 3-piece shaker, make sure it’s a good one. Mine was a wedding gift from Pottery Barn. We’re going on ten blissful years of leak-free shaking.
The Peeler
A.M. – You probably already have a vegetable peeler. That’s fine. Some recipes just call for the peel of citrus. I’m also a big fan of the “Y” or “Swiss” peeler. An unused lemon zester became indispensable when I re-discovered the Sazerac.
J.T.D. – This is a good place to recommend a good quality bar knife. Something small, sharp and versatile for everything from cutting wedges to paring off thin, pithless peels is useful in any home bar.
K.L. - I don’t say this very often about kitchen tools, but I love my peeler. It miraculously shaves just the right width—all the tasty yellow stuff, none of the bitter white stuff. Also great for carrots and potatoes, if you’re into that sort of thing.
The Jigger
A.M. – The shaker set’s cap is most likely two ounces deep. That’s plenty. It’s not a “shot”—a shot is 1 1/2 ounces. I once made the mistake of making a drink that called for three shots of whiskey and used a two ounce jigger. Did I say mistake? I meant best night of my life.
Besides being fun to say in mixed company, those two-sided jiggers are good but messy. You use the 2 oz. side, then flip it over to use the 1 oz and drip all over your counter or floor. I’ve switched to a sweet little stainless measuring cup from OXO.
J.T.D. – Jiggers come in all sizes and variations, from steel to glass to plastic to get-the-hell-off-this-blog. It’s really a matter of preference. In my bartending days, I got used to the messy two-sider. Today I keep a 2/1oz and a 1.5/.75oz for when accuracy counts. Which is usually until about the third drink.
K.L. - This is not where I choose to spend my money. Shaker top, measuring cup, Route 66 souvenir shot glass, whatever.
The Glassware
A.M. – Go to Bargain World, Value Village, Goodwill or wherever the hipsters are buying out Members Only jackets and tweed goods and stock up on Old Fashioned glasses — short 8–16 oz glasses, Collins glasses — tall, skinny 12–16 oz, martini 4–6 oz size. The other ones are too big and made for the punch them girls be drankin’ all up in the clubz.
J.T.D. – Amen to all the above. And while you’re at it, maybe consider a couple standard rocks-style glasses. I keep a couple in the freezer and use them for straight-up drinks like Sazeracs and Martinis. Again, your local supply store is the best bet.
K.L. - Goodwill has been very good to me, but if you prefer matching sets of glasses that have not been lipped by anonymous donors, check out the fancy tumblers and highballs made by Riedel.
Other Junk
A.M. - You could recycle small bottles or use a mason jar to keep your simple syrup and grenadine or you could pick up a few clear squeeze bottles. So handy.
A 20 oz. + work glass or, if you can find one, a weighted mixing glass. It’s not necessary but they’re convenient for drinks that need to be stirred, not shaken. You could use your boston shaker glass or any other for that matter but this gives you some room to get freaky on your stir. Mixing glasses have a little pour spout that makes life easier but you may already have a work glass in the back of your cupboard.
J.T.D. – Know what else is handy? A bar spoon. They’re long. They’re thin. They’re perfect for stirring tall drinks. And forget the spoon end; the tail-end is where it’s at. (Ahem.)
I also get a lot of mileage out of my nice, cheap tea strainer. It’s indispensable when you’re muddling pulpy or seedy fruits like pineapple or berries and don’t want all that flotsam mucking up your denture work.
Finally, a decent quality citrus squeezer is a must for saving both your hands and your patience during those all-night Margaritathons.
Lists
We made a couple Amazon lists for you if you decide not to save money by visiting your local restaurant supply.
97 notes