Everything You Need for a Rock-Solid Home Bar
Everything, that is, except your favorite drink of choice
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We love drinking in a bar as much as the next person, but there’s something to be said for making yourself a cocktail in the comfort of your own home while sitting in front of a roaring fire. So we’ve rounded up the essentials you’ll need to either start your own home bar or elevate your existing bar to a transcendent level.
RBT by Rabbit Cocktail Shaker ($50)
Three-piece cobbler shakers (a tin, strainer, and lid) eliminate a lot of the guesswork and potential mistakes that beginners often make while trying to use the more cumbersome Boston shakers. You can find cheaper shakers than the RBT, but this one actually looks good on your bar cart, and it has a removable reamer attachment so you can juice fresh fruit directly into the tin.
Viski Jigger and Bar Spoon ($19 and $14)
Viski makes every possible thing you could need to stock a home bar, but these wood-handled tools are our favorites of the lot. Aesthetically, they’re gorgeous: a mix of earthy and modern, thanks to a combination of polished teak and stainless steel. They’re also practical: you’ll need both tools for 75 percent of the cocktails you make at home.
Whiskey Peaks Mountain Glasses ($30 for two)
Class up any situation with these handblown-rocks glasses, which feature tiny versions of the world’s most iconic mountains on the bottom of each. We dig the Mount Fuji, but the Half Dome glass has its own charm as well.
Yarai Mixing Glass ($33)
Shakers are fun and will make you feel like Tom Cruise in Cocktail, but the majority of your drinks will actually be stirred in a mixing glass. These also come in handy if you’re making more than one drink at a time. Yarai’s diamond-cut glass has become the industry standard because it’s pretty, durable, and dishwasher safe. Add ice, the cocktail ingredients, and use that Viski bar spoon to stir.
W&P Bartender’s Knife ($35)
You’d be surprised how often you need to slice something while making a drink. The straightforward, multipurpose stainless-steel blade on this knife makes short work of the ubiquitous orange- and lemon-peel garnishes you’ll need. We like the heft of the handle and that it comes with a sharpening stone.
High Camp Firelight Flask ($99)
The Firelight takes a double-wall shaker and flask and adds a leakproof lid and two magnetic tumblers, so you can take your cocktail game into the backcountry with style. Mix a batch of drinks at home, throw the kit into your backpack, and enjoy a beverage on a ski lift.