Tools of the Trade
Like any industry, some tools are needed to be successful when mixing cocktails. Throughout this page, you'll find all of the primary tools necessary to be successful. There are also many places to purchase these tools, but I would recommend the Cocktail Kingdom due to their high level of quality in products.
Boston shaker: Is the most common type of sharker that is used throughout the industry. Consisting of a combination of a 16 oz. Mixing glass, usually a pint glass, and a slightly larger metal cone. The metal cone can fit over the mixing glass and creates a seal that allows for none of the drink to spill while shaking. You can also utilize two metal cones, one that is small and large. I prefer the two metal cones as opposed to the mixing glass and the metal cone only because I find that they conduct the cold better, leading to a colder drink.
Mixing glass: As simple as it sounds, a mixing glass is a glass that you can create stirred drinks in. A pint glass is most commonly utilized, but there are also decorative crystal glasses that are available. Both can perform the same task, but a pint glass can be used with the metal tin to create a Boston shaker.
Bar spoon: There are many different types of bar spoons available on the market. Some have muddlers built into the end of them, and some have twisted shafts, others are available in various designs. The one common characteristic in bar spoons is that they have a shallow bowl. The purpose of Bar spoon is to gently stir drinks allowing the ice to melt and dilute and make the spirits more pleasant for the pallet. My personal preference for a bar spoon is one that has a tightly twisted shaft. I find that they are most comfortable to work with while creating a stirred cocktail.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is the most common strainer used for cocktails that is flat-topped with a spring coil around the one side. This spring coil allowed for the strainer to fit securely on the metal side of a Boston shaker and pushed against the edge of the shaker to keep the ice from entering the cocktail.
Julep Strainer: This is a spoon-shaped strainer that has small holes through the bowl of the spoon. The strainer is positioned upside down in a mixing glass at a 45-degree angle preventing ice from entering the finished cocktail.
Muddler: traditionally a wooden pestle, now available in various materials, utilized to crush ingredients in the serving glass or mixing glass. There is a flat end and a rounded end and used the flat end for crushing ingredients.
Citrus juicer: While it is simple to juice a piece of citrus by hand, it's far easier to use a citrus juicer. What is great with citrus juicers is that while you do get the most juice from the citrus, you also release the essential oils found in the citrus peel.
Jiggers: These are what are utilized to measure spirits, juices, and syrups. They are made of metal with two cones on each end. They come in various sizes, most commonly a 1 oz. and 1 ½ oz. There are also different shapes that jiggers are available in. Some are short and wide, or there are tall and thin. I prefer the tall and tin style because I find that you are less likely to spill while measuring.
Speed pourers: While yes, it is faster to empty a bottle without a speed pourer; it is a lot easier to measure the amount of liquid leaving a bottle with a speed pourer on the bottle. These are mostly made out of metal but can be made out of plastic as well. They should fit tightly around the neck of the bottle to allow for accurate measuring.
Vegetable peelers: These are great for citrus peels. I prefer the ones that have a y-shape to them. I find they produce the cleanest and most consistent peels with very little citrus pith.