Bar Tools Every home mixologist will require some basic bar tools in order to create a variety of drinks. Here’s a quick look at a few items you should keep on hand:
Boston Shaker Muddler
Jigger or measuring cup
Hand-held Juicer Barspoon
Julep Strainer
Bar Tools Hawthorne Strainer
n Barspoon – A long handled spoon with a twisted shaft and shallow bowl used for stirring drinks to chill and dilute them. The spoon can also be used to measure ingredients; one barspoon is equal to one teaspoon. n Boston Shaker – The Boston Shaker is the most important tool behind the bar. It consists of two pieces, a mixing glass and a slightly larger metal mixing cup that fits over it. The drink ingredients should be assembled in the mixing glass, the metal tin should be filled with approximately two-thirds ice, and the two halves should be combined and then shaken. Three piece Cobbler Shakers featuring a “built-in” strainer are available in most kitchen stores. While these are handy, the Boston Shaker is ultimately more versatile and fun to shake, with fewer parts to misplace. n Hand-held Juicer – Typically made of aluminum or stainless steel, hand-held juicers basically work like oversized garlic presses. They turn citrus halves inside out, pressing out fresh juice and leaving behind seeds and pulp.
n Hawthorne Strainer – A flat-topped perforated metal device with a coil of wire around the perimeter is used to strain drinks from the metal half of the Boston Shaker into your cocktail glass. n Jigger or measuring cup – Mixology is similar to baking, especially when cocktails have more than three ingredients. Once you start adding a number of ingredients, it becomes tougher to achieve a balance without measuring. A company called Oxo makes a great 2 ounce measuring cup that is perfect for the home bartender. n Julep Strainer – A rounded perforated metal device used to strain stirred drinks from a mixing glass. n Muddler – A wooden pestle between 6 to 9 inches long used to mash fruit and herbs with sugar or liquor at the bottom of a mixing glass. Muddling citrus will give an entirely different flavor than juicing. When citrus fruit is muddled, the essential oils in the skin are released into the mixture adding dramatically more flavor to the drink as well as the bitterness of the pith. 63
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