Bar Equipment

These are some examples of equipment that you should have in a complete home bar. However, the function of many of these items can be duplicated with standard kitchen equipment.

Bar Knife Bar Knife : For cutting or coring fruit, or for peeling rind.
Can Opener Can Opener: Pretty self explanatory; opening beer bottles, etc.
Ice Bucket Ice Bucket: For keeping ice close at hand and cold.
Ice Tongs Ice Tongs: For placing ice cubes into drinks -- a sanitary measure.
Jigger Jigger: Convenient measuring tool, usually showing 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and 1 oz. measures. Some are two-sided: 1 oz. on one side, 1 1/2 oz. on the other.
Juicer Juicer: For squeezing fresh juice for drinks... always preferred to pre-made.
Long Bar Spoon Long Bar Spoon: Makes life easy when stirring drinks in large glasses or pitchers.
Measuring Spoons Measuring Spoons: For when drink recipes call for dry ingredients or are measured in table or teaspoons.
Wooden Muddler Wooden Muddler: This device is for crushing leaves (such as mint) against the bottom of a glass without scarring it. If you can't find one of these, use the back of a wooden spoon.
Large Pitcher Large Pitcher: For mixing large quantities of drinks. Pitchers of drinks usually contain 5-7 oz. of alcohol, so use proportional amounts from the smaller recipe, and lots of ice to prevent dilution.
Shaker Shaker: If you really want to be classy, you can shake drinks (see Shaking in the techniques section).
Covered Shaker Covered Shaker: A somewhat cheaper alternative. The cover fits over the top of a glass for shaking.
Strainer Strainer: When you want to shake with ice, but not have ice in the final drink. Pour from the shaker through this device.
Waiter's Corkscrew Waiter's Corkscrew: This is a handy little number for keeping in the pocket. Includes corkscrew, can opener, and knife.
Winged Corkscrew Winged Corkscrew: Somewhat easier to use than the waiter's corkscrew, but also bulkier.