I have been having the best time styling and re-styling my new bar cart! Who ever thought that a Christmas present could bring an adult the same type of joy and excitement a child expresses when they receive a new toy!?! While decorating this bar cart continues to be super fun, I have realized that when it comes to making an actual cocktail, I am but a novice. Now it's one thing to have a well decorated bar cart, but if you don't know how to properly use the tools you take so much pride in displaying, then what the heck is that?!?

Over the weekend, I visited my local Barnes and Noble (I still really enjoy going to bookstores) to see what literature was available with respect to cocktail crafting. After some extensive research, I have put together a list of the three books I have found to be the most helpful/informative for anyone looking to better understand the world of cocktail crafting.

Shake: A New Perspective on Cocktails, by: Eric Prum & Josh Williams

Eric Prum and Josh Williams have made the art of cocktail making extremely user friendly with the creation of their book, Shake. From the simple yet beautiful visuals, to the easy to follow recipes, this book couldn't be a better starting point for getting your feet wet when it comes to learning how to craft a delicious cocktail. Their recipe for "A Mid-Winter Marg." is already on my menu for Super Bowl Sunday and their section on Cocktail Crafting 101 has been extremely helpful to reference while I have been working to put together a properly stocked bar and bar cart. For those of you looking for a high level overview of cocktail crafting and some delicious recipes, this book is for you!

The Craft Cocktail Party: Delicious Drinks for Every Occasion, by: Julie Reiner

I love this book not only because it contains cocktail recipes for every season, but also because the author, Julie Reiner, breaks down the basic formula for making a delicious cocktail. In addition, she shares various tips and tricks for how incorporate an array of cocktail making techniques into your drink recipe and use what you have on hand to create a flavorful beverage. If that weren't enough, I am totally in love with her cocktail presentations and I find her array of garnishes to be inspirational. Julie Reiner shares so many great ideas for how to create and serve a show-stopping cocktail for any occasion, which is why this book has quickly become a favorite of mine.

The Curious Bartender: The Artistry & Alchemy of Creating the Perfect Cocktail, by: Tristan Stephenson

I would have to say that of the three books selected for this post, this one speaks to my learning style the most. I am inquisitive by nature and love to learn as much as I can when diving into a new subject, so this book couldn't be more perfect for me. The Curious Bartender includes a history of every spirit, recipes for making delicious cocktails, a breakdown of how to stock your bar, lessons on various cocktail crafting techniques and a resource page detailing where to purchase all of those bar/bar cart accessories (like here). This book is a wealth of knowledge, a go-to reference for me and a fabulous addition to my bar cart!

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!