The Home Bartender: Cause a Stir
Whether you're throwing the mother of all dinner parties or simply treating yourself, you don't need to be a pro bartender to cause a stir. With the right tools and a little bit of guidance, you can shake up some really tasty drinks at home. Here are a few classic bar tools which will help you with your home bartender skills. You're welcome.
Jiggers
In order to reach the perfect mix with your cocktail creations, your measurements need to be exact. You may have seen bartenders using a tool that looks a little bit like an hour glass to measure your drinks. These are called Jiggers. A jigger is pretty much a double sided shot glass. These are fantastic tools for measuring individual ingredients. We recommend using a marked jigger for measures, particularly if you are new to the bar-tending game. If you don't have a jigger, you can also use a shot glass or an egg cup. Rose gold bar-ware is very popular at the moment, check out this beautiful rose gold jigger available at Aberdeen's own Opaque.
A Cocktail Shaker
There are two reasons to use a cocktail shaker. One, because you will get beautifully mixed, icy cool cocktails and two because you will look incredibly cool. Just make sure you hold on to the shaker, unless you want to bust a light-bulb. Cocktail shakers with a twist-off strainer are great and tend to prevent a gloopy, syrupy mess.
Glassware
Balloon, highball, old-fashioned, martini, collins... It's way too easy to get bogged down by all of the different types of glassware. Pick up a standard mixed cocktail glass set from any good retailer so you don't hit a wall later on down the line. Our favourite? A balloon glass of course - the perfect size for an icy G & Teasmith. Check out the exceptional range of gin glassware available again at Opaque in Aberdeen.
Bar Spoons
Similar to a latte spoon, bar spoons are just like normal teaspoons but have a longer stem to reach the bottom of highball and collins glasses. If you don't have one to hand, use a skewer or a chopstick. If you're 'stirred, not shaken,' then you are going to need to get hold of a good bar spoon.
A Wooden Muddler
Muddlers are often overlooked by the new home bartender, yet they are a key tool in creating great drinks. A muddler is used like a pestle to mash up cocktail ingredients at the bottom of your shaker or glass. They help to release the flavours in fruits, herbs and spices and are particularly popular in mojito making. You can also use a rolling pin if you don't have a muddler. Wooden muddlers must never be left standing in water and should be cleaned straight after use.
A Serrated Knife
Again, this is another tool that is often forgotten about. A good knife will be quicker, easier and safer and will also save you a job when it comes to slicing citrus fruits, such as lemon or lime for your perfect Teasmith serve.
'Why limit happy to an hour?'