Thats why I,a bartender pop in, am here to help.

The Rules

Rule 1: Ice is your enemy.Weve all seen Titanic.

Cocktails, like your newly retired parents, start to die the moment they sit still.

Rule 2: Ice is your friend.Cocktails were born out of utility.

Rule 3: Your home is not a bar.Bars and restaurants are hallowed environments.

Dont be one of these people.

Now that weve got that out of the way, here is the stuff.

Things you need

Jigger

Any and all drinks need to be measured accurately.

If you are not a prodigious, glass-guessing professional, you need a jigger.

Despite being hideous and totally uncool,this is the best onefor your home.

You cannot do this because your hands are shaky.

I know you think you’ve got the option to; but you cant.

A Small Tin and a Large Tin

Use these for, you guessed it, shaking cocktails!

Youcanuse a pint glass for the small end of a Boston shaker situation, but you shouldnt.

When youre shaking a cocktail, youre doing three things: chilling, diluting, and making tiny bubbles.

Shaking with a pint glass makes this difficult because pint glasses are heavy.

Pint Glass

You still need a pint glass, though.

Strainers

If you are only stirring cocktails, you only need aHawthornestrainer.

Ive interviewed bar managers from Michelin-starred restaurants who didnt know how to stir a cocktail.

A chopstick works fine in a pinch.

Big Cube Tray

Yes, your fridge makes ice, but that ice sucks.

Like soviet architecture, it is solid, strong, and utilitarian.

Build an Old Fashioned in your glass, plunk one in, and give it a few stirs.

Whack three of them into small(ish) pieces for stirring Manhattans in a pint glass.

Shake a sour on one for an extra frothy sour to coat your stache.

Thats why I prefer garnishing with wheels.

Pour Spouts

As weve mentioned, Mr.

Shaky Hands, its a good thing youre not a surgeon.

Spill Mat

You know those rubber mats that bars keep in front of service stations?

Things You Def Dont Need

you’re free to skip this stuff.

Fancy mixing glass:See above.

Save that $70 for something you actually need, like a fancy t-shirt with a tiger on it.

Fancy bar spoon:There arelotsof fancy bar spoons.

There are spoons that double as muddlers (practical!

), spoons with a trident on the end to make you feel like Poseidon (nautical!

), and spoons plated in actual gold (WHY).

The one linked above costs $5 and works great.

Moscow Mule Cups:Ametal cup does notmake your drink that much better.

Muddler:You have a wooden spoon, dont you?

Julep Strainers:They do the same thing as the other strainers you already have.

Japanese Jiggers:These look nice, but even in professional bar environments, are often used incorrectly.

Theyre also designed to be used overhand, which is about as practical as a Tidal subscription.

Cherries:Cherries are not a functional garnish; they are candy.

Go buy candy, its delicious!

Thats it for the hardware.