For some time now on our blog, you have been finding a series of cocktails, each one more tempting than the last, with superb photos and detailed recipes. It is quite possible to make them easily yourself. You just need to have a minimum of equipment. Here is a little guide to the tools you need and the basic alcohols, in order to create your first home bar!
All this cocktail equipment is available on the site, all you have to do is get started 😉
The shaker
The most iconic bartender accessory is of course the shaker! Made up of two cups ("tins"), it is used to hit drinks with ice to cool them quickly.
It comes with a suitable strainer, called a Strainer. It is used to filter the cocktail, leaving the ice cubes and other solid elements in the shaker.
There are 3 types of shaker:
– Boston in 2 parts , sometimes with a large glass tin.
– 3-part cobbler , with a small stopper and integrated strainer, widely used in Japan or by amateurs.
– “Parisian” or “continental” shaker in 2 parts fitted perfectly into one piece.
To make a cocktail in a shaker, fill the large tin with ice cubes, and the small one with the cocktail ingredients. Pour the contents of the small tin into the large one. Then close the shaker. For the Boston shaker, a little askew, so that it is airtight, otherwise there is a risk of damage... Shake vigorously for about ten seconds. Open the shaker, place the strainer on top, and pour into the glass.
Sometimes, it is specified to do a double filtration. This consists of using a small fine strainer in addition to the strainer.
The mixing glass
Some cocktails are prepared directly in the glass, such as gin and tonic or mojito. In this case, you don't need any special instrument, except for a mixing spoon (barspoon) which makes the task much easier. Incidentally, let's point out that this barspoon can also be used as a precision measuring cup, as it generally contains 5ml.
Still others are prepared in a mixing glass , which is then accompanied by a barspoon, and ideally a Julep Strainer , a strainer adapted to the mixing glass. Note that you can also use the large tin of a shaker as a mixing glass, in which case the regular Strainer will suffice.
To make a cocktail in a mixing glass, fill the glass about 2/3 full with ice. Then pour in the ingredients and stir the mixture using the barspoon. After a few turns of the spoon, the glass will start to frost, it is then time to strain the cocktail using the Julep Strainer.
The doser
There is another accessory, a little more discreet but just as important: the jigger . This small measuring cup allows you to follow a recipe to the letter, and to respect its subtle balance. It is most often equipped with two capacities (2 and 4cl for example), and really makes things easier when it comes to measuring. It is clearly an essential accessory.
The list of accessories that we highly recommend also includes the manual citrus press, which is efficient and fast, as well as the pestle (for crushing herb leaves in particular).
The glasses
It may sound silly, but it's hard to imagine a mojito in a coupe or a gin and tonic in a mustard glass. Depending on the type of cocktail you prefer, it may be worth equipping yourself with a few suitable glasses.
The highball glass is ideal for long drinks, i.e. long cocktails (with soda, water or fruit juice) such as mojitos, collins, etc.
The tall tulip glass is in the same spirit, but its aesthetic traditionally lends itself to tropical cocktails like the Piña Colada.
The Martini glass and coupe are more suitable for short drinks, shorter and more powerful cocktails. This is the case for the Daïquiri or the Manhattan.
The tumbler is mainly designed for short drinks, but in practice it can also accommodate long drinks because it is very wide. You can therefore pour an Old Fashioned as well as a Mai Tai into it.
Speaking of Mai Tai, this cocktail is part of a very special category, inspired by Polynesian culture: Tiki cocktails. The essential accessory for this kind of colorful cocktail is the Tiki Mug.
There is another special category, which is that of the "mule" and the "julep". These two families have the particularity of being served in cups or timbales, like the Moscow Mule or the Mint Julep.
See you soon for the rest of this article on the essentials of the home bar, with lots of information on ice, syrups , spirits, etc.