When it comes to entertaining, it is important to be properly equipped. In the past I have shared my thoughts on how to equip your home for entertaining with key serving pieces and food/beverage. I have also shared plenty of cocktail recipes and cheesescape ideas, but it recently occurred to me that I have yet to share my list of bar tool must-haves! Below is a breakdown of my bar tool essentials that will have you outfitted to create and serve almost any cocktail.
Wusthof Knife Garnishing Kit
The Wusthof Knife Garnishing Kit has every tool needed for garnishing your cocktail. Whether you are creating a twist of lemon peel or shaving chocolate into a chocotini, this kit has you covered. I use this kit to create garnishes beyond just drinks- freshly zested lemon on top of pre-made humus is a great way to bump up the presentation on a store bought item. This video from Martha Stewart, really helped me to see some of the possibilities for ways to use my garnishing kit.
Ultimate Bar Tool Set
This stainless steel bar tool set with stand is certainly comprehensive! The double-sided jigger is essential for making any cocktail and the steel stirrer has proven to be quite helpful with the creation of my various specialty cocktails for parties. Beyond these two essentials, I find it helpful to have the bottle opener, ice tongs, spare cheese knife and strainer ready to go at a moments notice when entertaining. What really puts this set over the top for me is that these pieces are all dishwasher safe! This bar tool set is the perfect starter kit for any home bar and a fabulous gift to give for any occasion.
Rabbit Wine Stoppers
I absolutely love these wine stoppers and have given them away as party favors and stocking stuffers more times than I can count! Why? There are plenty of nights where a bottle of wine does not get fully consumed and I am not in the business of throwing out perfectly good wine. Re-corking wine bottles typically leads to me finding chunks of cork in the next glass of wine I pour from that bottle or worse, the cork gets stuck and it takes me an hour to extract the jammed cork from the bottle! These rubber stoppers are easy to use, never get stuck and are dishwasher safe to boot!
The Rabbit
Everyone has their own preference when it comes to opening wine. There is a large population who prefer to use the classic winged corkscrew and then there are my friends who actually prefer to use a simple wine key. Both tools are widely used and certainly more than capable of getting the job done. I, on the other hand, prefer to use The Original Rabbit. Why do I love this wine opener so much? For starters, as advertised, The Rabbit extracts corks in 3 seconds flat! In addition to the quick extraction, you also receive a foil cutter and additional corkscrew with this package (talk about value!). Wine bottle opening has never been a struggle for me thanks to the Original Rabbit wine opener.
Mixing Pitcher
A tall bar pitcher is a must have when making/mixing cocktails. As you have seen in a few of my posts (like this one and this one), my favorite pitcher at the moment is this CB2 Double Edge Pitcher. I love the sleek design, subtle etching and at a cost of $7.99 what's not to love?
Wine Chiller
If I am going to drink a glass of white wine, I want it to be ice cold. In my opinion there is nothing worse than a room temperature glass of white wine. Before owning this wine chiller, I used to have to run back and forth to the refrigerator every time one of my guests needed a refill, which translated to lots of party interruptions and less time with my guests. The purchase of the wine chiller was a game changer for me. This insulated container does not require any pre-chilling and unlike an ice bucket, it does not produce condensation. Best part? It can be used for wine, champagne and even bottles of water!
When it comes to serving cocktails, these bar essentials have really made a huge difference. I feel confident when hosting a party that I am going to be able to create a cocktail that is delicious, beautiful and served in a timely manner as a result of having these tools on hand. While I am not saying that you need to have this entire list in order to properly equip your bar, each tool has made my entertaining life easier in one way or another. If anything, I would suggest taking time to consider having some of these items the next time you host a party. Cheers!