What barware do I need to set up my bar?
SPORTSMAN’S knows that great tools make a great bartender. We stock a wide variety of these bartender’s best friends and will guide you through their uses. You'll not likely need all these tools, but it’s good to know what they are. Here’s a selection of our favorites:
Bar spoon: Bar spoons and teaspoons are primarily used for the mixing of cocktail ingredients and measurements. Most bar spoons have a twisted handle.
Blender: Blenders have multiple uses: not only for making cocktails, but also cooking or crashing ice cubes. In a bar, they're used to make mixed drinks like colada's, frappe's and frozen beverages. They are made in a variety of styles and sizes.
Can/Bottle Opener: When opening bottled beers and juices, a can opener becomes very handy.
Champagne Stopper: Champagne stoppers are special types as they keep the pressure of the natural effervescence of the wine in the bottle and keep the champagne from going 'flat'. Other stoppers do not secure around the bottle's lip and would not work with champagne.
Citrus Reamer/Juicer: The citrus reamer or juicer helps create fresh cocktails with fresh citrus fruit juice. There are many kinds of citrus reamers in the market.
Corkscrew: Corkscrews are used to open a wine bottle. There are many types to choose from in all price ranges.
Ice Bucket and Tongs: An ice bucket is useful if you don't have a large kitchen where you can store the ice. Use tongs to pick ice cubes from a bucket. If you use a very large ice bucket, never dip glasses directly into the ice to fill. Use tongs or a small ice shovel.
Jigger: The jigger is one of the standard bar measurement tools. You may use a jigger to measure the ingredients. Most steel jiggers allow you to measure by 1 1/2 oz. on one end and 3/4 oz. on the other end. Glass jiggers usually have only one size. 1 oz = 2 tbsp
Knife: A knife is one of the essential tools in a bar because large numbers of cocktails are served with fruits as garnish. When you use a blender to make a drink, you may also need knife to cut ingredients before putting them into a blender.
Liquid Measuring Cup: Liquid Measuring cups are usually a glass cup with measurements imprinted on the side. For more information about bar measurements, go to our Bar Measurements page.
Tablespoon: A tablespoon is used to measure ingredients. We use a tablespoon (part of a measuring spoons set) for small amounts of liquid or powdered ingredients in cocktail recipes.
Mixing Glass: A Mixing glass is useful for stirring cocktails that are served with ice. The glass part of a Shaker could do the same task for stirring cocktails with ice.
Muddler/Mortar: Some cocktails requires grinding ingredients by using a Muddler. Use this to crush fruit in a glass.
Pitcher, Glass: To hold fruit juice, beer, and liquors, a glass pitcher is one of the ways to serve more than one person at the same table. Often used at events for "set-ups" or in restaurants for "family service" of beverages.
Shaker: One of the most important pieces of bar equipment. Today's market provides many types of shakers from classic style to modern style. The most important part of a shaker is the body part (tumbler) where you store the cocktail ingredients. You don't want to buy a small shaker if you have a big family or entertain clients in groups. We recommend a classic metal shaker or three piece Boston Shaker (with mixing glass). Most classic shakers have three parts: tumbler, snug fitting lid and a cap on the top.
Strainer: A strainer fits in the shaker or mixing glass to help straining only the liquid and to keep chunks of ice from diluting drinks.
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