Fashioned

Building a great home bar isn’t about stocking every spirit or owning every gadget—it’s about having the right tools and knowing how to use them. Here’s our guide to the essential tools every home bartender should keep within arm’s reach.

Shakers

For cocktails that include citrus juice, eggs, dairy, or anything that needs vigorous mixing, a shaker is non-negotiable. We prefer using a set of two weighted shaking tins that hold 18 and 28 ounces, respectively. They’re durable, easy to clean, and offer better control over temperature and dilution. A three-piece cobbler shaker is a great alternative to the 18-28 set for the home bar, as it’s a handsome piece of equipment and sports a built-in strainer.

Mixing Glasses

For spirit-forward cocktails like the Martini, Manhattan, or Negroni, you’ll want a sturdy mixing glass. Choose one with a wide base and seamless interior to ensure smooth stirring and easy straining. Thick glass helps maintain temperature, and a spout makes for cleaner pours. Japanese-style mixing glasses are beautiful and durable, but a standard pint glass made from—important!—tempered glass works just as well. Pro tip: store your mixing glasses in the freezer.

Barspoon

This isn’t just a long-handled spoon—it’s a precision tool for stirring. A well-balanced barspoon glides effortlessly around the inside of a mixing glass, minimizing aeration while maximizing chill and dilution. Look for one around 12 inches long with a tight coil (for a secure grip) and weighted, teardrop-shaped end to help you stir with confidence and control. Those cheap barspoons with a red plastic cap on one end are only good for cracking ice.

Strainers

If you have to choose one strainer for using on all styles of drinks, buy a Hawthorne strainer with a tightly coiled spring and two or four protruding tabs that allow you to adjust the flow of the drink (aka “gate control”) as you strain it. A julep strainer is also nice to have for stirred drinks, as liquid will pass through the holes more quickly and fluidly than it would through a Hawthorne strainer, thus maintaining the silky texture of the stirred cocktail. You also need a mesh cone strainer for double straining shaken drinks; at home you can use a cheap kitchen sieve, but we prefer one designed specifically for cocktails, with a deeper cone that will hold an entire drink’s worth of liquid.

Jiggers & Measuring Devices

Precision is everything in cocktail making. Like barspoons, jiggers come in many shapes and styles. We prefer two-sided Japanese-style jiggers, which are taller and skinnier than the more common squat, cone-shaped ones you’d find at a kitchen supply store. The smaller diameter of the Japanese-style jigger makes it easier to measure ingredients more accurately, and the longer shape is easier to maneuver around the glass. Whatever style you choose, a set of two jiggers—one that measures 1 and 2 ounces, the other ½ and ¾ ounce (with an interior etching marking  ¼ ounce)—will allow you to make any cocktail; any smaller measurement should be tackled with a measuring spoon. Also great are all-in-one “stepped” jiggers, which can measure amounts from ½ ounce to 2½ ounces.

Muddler

A muddler lets you extract flavor from fresh ingredients like mint, citrus, or berries. A good muddler should be weighty enough to do most of the work for you. We prefer a muddler made from heavy, food-grade plastic, which is easy to clean and won’t chip or splinter like wooden muddlers do.

Vegetable Peeler

Try cutting a few citrus twists with a knife and you’ll quickly see the value of a good vegetable peeler. The best style is shaped like a Y, with a sharp, non-serrated blade. It’s also useful for peeling ginger or slicing long, elegant ribbons of cucumber.

Other Tools

Don’t forget the unsung heroes: a sharp knife, small cutting board, citrus juicer, fine grater (for grating spices and zest). Silicone ice molds for making 1- and 2-inch cubes will elevate your presentation and slow dilution in the shaker or mixing glass.

With just these tools, you’ll be ready to tackle most classic and modern cocktails—and craft drinks at home that rival your favorite bar.