So you want to be bartender or maybe you are opening your own bar. Better yet, you want to build your own bar at home. Here is a complete list of the the essential bar tools.

Blender

Not all workplaces have the best blender because the truth is that a basic home blender may not be good enough. You have to find something specific for the workplace. Another weird truth is that some guests don't really care if their margarita has crushed ice in it. So a basic blender might work at first if you're worried about costs.

Bottle Opener

The more simple the bottle opener, the better. I personally prefer the flat ones.

Can Opener

I've personally never had to use one of these, but if you're building a bar it won't cost much to get a simple "church key" can opener. It's for opening juice cans when a drink is in need of pineapple juice and the juice (or even pineapple slices to garnish). Cause of you know, metal tins.

Champagne Stopper

If you get a good champagne stopper, you can keep the champagne carbonated for at least 24 hours. You will want to find one that has a spring mechanism and two metal pieces that hook under the lip of a typical champagne bottle.

Corkscrew

Please do not go and buy a cheap with a corkscrew. Also, if you are a server/bartender you should buy your own good one and maybe even get your name engraved into it. If you are new, get the "screw pull."

Pro Tip: Whatever you do, make sure your cork screw has the spiral screw in it.

Please Note: If you drop the cork into the bottle, that bottle is ruined and you will probably owe the owners however much that wine costs. Which can be a lot.

Glass Pitcher

I suppose it doesn't have to be glass, but this is really just to look fancy when serving more than one guest. It doesn't just have to be for mixed drinks, it could also be for water or juice.

Ice Bucket

When I say ice bucket, I really mean just ice. The sake of an ice bucket is to have something to put the ice in. You will also need an ice scoop to take the ice out with. Never use the glass to take the ice out, it's against health protection laws and doing this can actually lead to termination.

Pro Tip: Put the ice bucket in the sink so that if it melts or whatever, you are still in the clear.

Jigger

I laughed so hard when I realized that it is actually called a jigger. Anyway, this is a two-sided measuring device, one side is one shot and the other side is two shots. Don't be fooled if it's labelled, one standard shot is two ounces. H onesty here, that confused me when I started. However with that said, apparently there are some that hold a third of a shot in order to help bartenders make mix drinks and layered shots.

Measuring Cup

Just a regular measuring cup. It's for when you come across new or just really specific recipes with ingredients that measure more than two ounces.

Measuring Spoons

Just a standard kitchen set is fine; you may not even use them that often.

Mixing Glass

Any 16-ounce glass will work. I personally like pretty ones since bartending is a show; however, it's really not mandatory.

Mixing Spoon

A mixing spoon is a long stainless steel spoon with a twisted handle. It's mainly used for mixing and stirring but sometimes they also have a muddler on the other end. If you don't know what a muddler is, that's OK! I explain it in the next item.

Muddler

This is used most commonly for mojitos. A muddler is a stick with a patterned wight in on one end. It's used to crush things like mint leaves to help the flavour and taste escape into the drink.

It's kinda like a mortar and pestle type of thing.

Some Other Tools!

Cocktail napkins, coasters, straws, toothpicks, and those cute and tiny little umbrellas.

Thank you for reading my article, I hope you enjoyed it. If so, please feel free to read my other articles here on Vocal. I write a lot about bartending as well as all sorts of crazy things, so come check the craziness out!

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