While not everyone craves a home bar, it’s a luxury that many grown-ups would enjoy. Even if you’re not a frequent drinker or interested in dabbling in creating cocktails, having a bar at home may be something that comes into its own when you have a few friends round for a dinner party or celebration.
Thus, if you intend to have a bar at home, you should know how to set up a bar that contains all of the necessary equipment and is visually appealing and encourages you to experiment with new ideas.
With that in mind, this article will give you some of the basic home bar set-ups from drinkware and bar tools like mixers, shakers, and strainers. All these things can help you set up your bar at home and become your own bartender. So, read on!
Basic home bar set-up
If you want to have a home bar, regardless of whether or not you’re a bar enthusiast, you need to have the right tools. Getting the best hospitality supplier that will offer high-quality items for your bar will surely get you an awesome-looking bar. So here’s a list of some essential bar tools for your home bar set-up.
Shakers
A cocktail shaker is one of the indispensable and most basic bar tools. It allows you to thoroughly blend cocktails, which is necessary for creating a deliciously cooled, mixed beverage. A cocktail shaker is available in two distinct forms: Cobblers and Boston-style. The latter is a metal container that tightly fits over a shaker glass to prevent it from spilling while shaking.
The majority of the experienced bartenders prefer to use Boston-style shakers as they are more convenient and can be easily cleaned for reuse. However, for home bar use, you may choose to opt for the cobbler. This is a one-piece shaker consisting of a cap, metal tin, and a built-in filter. This is also an excellent choice if you’re just getting started with cocktail mixing.
Jiggers
A bar tool that you see bartenders use in measuring and pouring liquor shots to create cocktails, which can be shaped like an hourglass or in a narrow and sleek style, is called a jigger. It comes in various sizes, but a standard jigger typically measures 1½ ounces.
Having this valuable item for your home bar set-up is crucial as it will help you determine the proper measurements when following a cocktail recipe or crafting your drink and will enable you to serve a high-quality drink to yourself or your guests.
Strainers
One essential bar tool that you need to be equipped with is a cocktail strainer. This is a piece of bar equipment that filters out solid particles such as ice, fruit bits, or pulp from the drink that has been shaken or mixed. There are three types of strainers that you should consider before buying: the Julep Strainer, Hawthorne Strainer and Fine Strainer.
Mixing glass and bar spoons
A mixing glass is a necessary home bar set-up specially designed for combining the cocktail’s ingredients. Although you can use alternative drinkware like a pint glass, having a dedicated mixing glass in the bar counter of your home can add elegance and functionality.
On the other hand, bar spoons aren’t your typical type of spoon, as they’re specifically designed for stirring cocktails. Instead, they’re often long-handled, manufactured from stainless steel and made so that they don’t interfere with the drink’s taste.
Home bar drinkware
The bar is stocked with different glasses, and each glass is designated for a specific drink. The right glass for your cocktail can be found in various sizes to suit your preference: short, tall, fancy or casual.
● Coupe glasses
Besides its classy style and look, this drinkware is all-round. You can have your Margarita or Martini in this glass instead of buying special ones for such specific drinks. Also, they’re far more effective at avoiding spills.
● Shot glasses
Shoot your spirits away! Although this type of drinkware can be alternatively used as a jigger measure, this glass is typically used to serve powerful spirits and cocktails in single, neat servings.
You wouldn’t want to waste an expensive bottle of whiskey by pouring a large volume of it into a normal glass would you? Aside from proper measurements, shot glasses provide you an invaluable way to save on your more pricey drinks and spirits.
● Rocks glasses
Want to sip on your whiskey? The old-fashioned glass is also referred to as a rocks glass. This drinkware is typically used for small mixed drinks served on the rocks.
Takeaway
Are you planning on installing a bar counter in your home? Having these basic home bar set-ups will give you a solid ground for entertaining your guests or enjoying a beverage on your own. Having the right tools such as a jigger, stirrers, mixers and glassware, allows you to mix your drinks easily for fun and enjoyable get-togethers at home.
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