How to mix a drink: The tools behind the Bar (Part I)
If you haven’t been following my previous posts (which I encourage you to read), I’m a cocktail enthusiast that recently found the wonders of trying to mix elaborated drinks at home. I discover that there was a lot I was missing out about booze, and if I was to continue doing it, I might as well do it right.
My first try to created crafted cocktails smashed into the wall, as I wrote in My First Batch of Cocktails. From that moment I learned, I had to dig deeper into the techniques used to craft a good cocktail. It turns out that before you start with any method or routine, you need the proper equipment (who would have thought!).
So before diving into the basics of how to prepare a decent drink, let’s check out what are the basic tools and gadgets used behind the bar. I’m going to try to explain in a short and general way what this tools are and what they are used for.
Stirrers
This tool is used for stirring mixed drinks. Even though you can stir with almost anything, including your index finger, using the proper tools allows for chilling and diluting the drink without adding any undesirable texture or air.
- Bar Spoon: this is the long, twisted metal spoons commonly seen behind professional bars. You can have different types of spoons, with one end having the actual spoon that measures approx. one teaspoon (5ml) and the other end varying from curved tongue for handling ice, tridents to handle garnishes or flat end for muddling simple ingredients like sugar cubes. They can also vary in length, weight, and material.
- Swizzle Sticks: this is a unique tool that serves the purpose of mixing crushed ice-based cocktails directly into the glass. This tool comes directly from the branches of a tree called Quararibea Turbinate and is known as the “swizzle stick tree” (no kidding). It’s a wooden stick with prongs at one end that can act as a blender swirling the crushed ice.
Mixing Vessels
These are the containers on which the cocktail is prepared, either stirred or shaken.
Mixing Glasses
This is where a stirred drink is prepared. Is an extra-thick clear glass of about 20 oz (can vary in size) that helps insulate the cold of the drink so it can be chilled. Although you can use anything to stir a drink in, using this precise tool can benefit the chilling and dilution process, as well as the serving of the final product.
Shakers
This might be the most common bartending tool. Is the container you see bartenders shaking when preparing a Daiquiri. They are commonly made from steel and can vary in size and shape. The classic ones are the following:
- Boston: the standard and oldest shaker, is a combination of a large metal tin and a pint glass. Previously when there were no measuring ingredients, the pint glass allowed the bartender visualize how much booze he was pouring in. You need an additional strainer to serve the cocktail and prevent the ice used in the shaking to be added to the drink.
- Cobbler: this is a classic three-piece set from the nineteenth century. It’s made of a large metal tin and a lid with a built-in strainer. It serves as an all-in-one bartending tool. It’s very elegant and suitable for home bars, but when mixing for a significant number of guest can be a little pain.
- French: a variation of the Boston shaker but with much more style. Combines two metal vessels that join each other and appear as a single seamless piece. A strainer is always required for this type as well.
- 18–28 set: this is the common go-to-shaker for pros. It’s a combination of two stainless steel tins of 18 and 28oz each. It combines the best of all the options above, an airtight seal from the Boston setup, and the all-metal surface for elegance and thermal conductivity, and practicality for high volume work. You do need a strainer for this type as well.
Strainers
For straining the drinks into the desire glassware.
- Julep: crafted in the mid-1800s was designed to fit into the Julep Cup and hold the ice while drinking the cocktail. It’s used mainly for stirred drinks in mixing glasses because it’s bowl-like shape with tiny holes can catch the big pieces of ice and letting the liquid flow while straining.
- Hawthorne: it’s made for shaken drinks, but can work fine stirred cocktails as well. Consist of a flat, circular disk of perforated metal with a self-adjusting spring coil that fits inside the container you’re using. The spring makes a critical feature, and that is controlling the amount of crushed ice that comes out of the shaker tin after the cocktail has been prepared. Helping the bartender control the texture of the end product.
- Cone: these strainers are commonly seen in kitchen appliances, and in bartending they serve the purpose of double straining. Some cocktails require a very clean finish, so you want to double the filters before the drink hits the glass.
Measuring
For measuring the ingredients of a cocktail.
- Jiggers: this is the hourglass-shaped tool you see in every bar and serves as the measuring tool. You can use it to measure spirits, juices, syrups or almost anything that goes inside the drink. They have two sides, each one capable of measuring different volumes of liquid.
- Dashers: this is a more pro tool that it’s used to measure Bitters, tinctures and other small-volume liquid ingredients. Usually, bitter bottles have a dasher cap of their own.
- Speed pourers: contrary to its name, this tool is not to speed the pour, but to control the amount of liquid coming out the bottle while you serve it. Is very useful to get a consistent flow and avoiding mess behind the bar.
Ice Shaping Tools
To manage ice and give it some shape.
- Lewis bag: the perfect tool for home crushed ice. Is a small canvas bag that holds the ice inside dry while you smash it with a mallet until you reach your desired ice size. It’s perfect for serving a couple of drinks without needing specialized equipment.
- Ice picker: for braking and shaping large pieces of ice. You can find different forms and styles.
Other Tools
Additional gadgets for the bar.
- Muddlers: this tool is for muddling herbs and fruits. There are multiple shapes, sizes, and styles. Usually found in two versions: wood and steel with a rubber end. Although there can be beautiful pieces, you must be careful with your selection. Wooden ones ten to chip with use and the rubber end ones almost always have spikes that aren’t favorable for muddling. Length is also something to take into account because you want a muddler that fits comfortably in your shaking tin and not struggles while using it.
- Juicers: cocktails are all about fresh ingredients, and citrus juice must always be fresh squeezed. So a standard tool for any home bar is a citrus juicer. You can find different sizes (lime, lemon, orange, etc.) and is a tool also found in kitchenware, so the options are endless.
- Peelers: cocktails also manage a lot of garnishes, and a ubiquitous one is a citrus peel. Carving the skin can be done with a regular knife, but a peeler will let you do it without bringing the bitter white pith of the fruit. Also, some peelers can work for different types of cuts, like wide or narrow, helping you with the job.
There are other necessary tools to add to this list, like bottle openers, knives, corkscrews, etc., but they are too common to mention in this post. The intention here was to name the ones more specific to the bartending scenery and that amateurs (like me) never heard of before getting their hands wet.
I encourage you to research further if you’re looking to step into this fantastic world of mixology. Also, I recommend that if you decide to step down this road, you start building your bar progressively, don’t rush out and get everything that is supposed to be useful. Remember that you must first get the feeling of what is like to mix drinks and then work your way up to pro stuff.
Now that we have the tools we can review the techniques and start shaking those tins!
Cheers! 🔪 Remember to raise the bar, drink consciously and live every moment mindfully.
