The Essentials of a Modern Cocktail Set: What to Invest in for Great Drinks at Home

When it comes to making craft cocktails at home - you know, the kind that actually impress your guests (and delight the palette) - quality bar tools and stocking the essential ingredients are the keys to whipping up a quality cocktail on short notice. Of course, most of us have a favorite cocktail (or few), and it can be tempting to shop for just those few items - but when you really want to level-up your hospitality skills, this guide will help you decide exactly where to invest for Mad-Men-meets-Casablanca sophistication that you and your guests will greatly enjoy.

Of course, you don't need a cocktail set -- or really anything other than ice and glasses -- to enjoy our Fresh Craft Cocktails.

The Best Cocktail Starts with Great Ingredients & the Right Tools

Okay so what exactly is a cocktail set? A cocktail set refers to the tools you'll need to make advanced drinks and their fancy garnishes.

It most commonly includes:

• Cocktail Shaker

• Bar Mixer (for "stirred, not shaken" drinks)

• Strainer

• Jigger (measuring cup for liquor)

• Bar Spoon (has a long thin handle)

• Muddler

• Cocktail glasses

• Bottle opener (for wine and beer - which are sometimes mixed into cocktails)

• Ice Tongs and Ice Bucket

More Than Just a Cocktail Shaker: Which Tools to Buy & Which to Skip or Save for Later

Stainless Steel Cocktail Shaker: The Cobbler Shaker

This truly is an essential piece for the modern cocktail bar. A cocktail shaker combines your ingredients in an evenly-mixed manner, to create a well-balanced experience from the first sip to last. The Cobbler Shaker is perfect for home use because it contains a jigger (usually the cap) and shaker with a built-in strainer- 3 of the most important tools to have on hand. There are other styles of shakers, like the Boston Shaker and French or Parisian Shaker, but they're usually meant for professional bartenders or those who are making very large batches of drinks, making them less than ideal for household use.

Stainless steel is a great option because it's easy to care for, clean, won't be damaged by acids or other ingredients the way some other metals may. If you're going to be using a Hawthorne Strainer, we recommend you buy a Cobbler Shaker that has one included, to ensure a perfect fit. More info on strainers below.

"Metal - and Stainless Steel in particular - is your best choice for a cocktail shaker because it makes the cocktail colder faster with the perfect amount of dilution."

- Lindsay, Master Mixologist at JustAddIce Cocktails

Click the image to shop this beautiful stainless steel cocktail set.

Glass bar Mixer: For “Stirred Not Shaken” Drinks

So glass bar mixers are not usually included in those pre-packaged cocktail sets, but honestly, this is how most people make cocktails - adding in ingredients to mix - so why not level-up the type of cocktails you’re already making by buying the tools to mix them to "every sip is the same" perfection?

Glass or crystal (which is a type of glass) is a good choice for a bar mixer, but if you're looking for durability and convenience (read: dishwasher safe) in a piece that has that vintage beauty of a crystal piece, consider pressed glass like the piece below.

“For a bar mixer, opt for glass, for optimal dilution, complete mixing, and speedy cooling of the cocktail ingredients.”

- Lindsay, Master Mixologist at JustAddIce Cocktails

Click the image to shop this beautiful glass bar mixer set.

Strainers for Cocktails

Now, most of the time, you’re just going to use the built-in strainer from your cocktail shaker, or none at all (because sometimes you don’t want to strain the drink, or perhaps this drink doesn’t need straining).

However, when you have need of a strainer for use with a stirred drink (in your bar mixer), we recommend the Julep strainer (the slotted spoon type) in stainless steel, which is a bit easier for most novices to control as they pour than the typical hawthorne strainer (with the spring around a flat round shape) or a mesh strainer.

The hawthorne strainer is generally used for shaken cocktails. While the hawthorne strainer certainly has pizazz, if you don’t know exactly what you’re buying and you get one without tabs or with sharp edges or flimsy welds on the spring - or even more commonly if the one you buy simply doesn’t fit your shaker or mixer just right - it’s going to be a real nightmare to pull off a good pour. these strainers work really well when they’re high quality and are made for your shaker (and usually that means they come in the same cocktail set together), but can otherwise be tricky. So stick with a paired cocktail set for hawthorne strainers.

Mesh strainers do exist for cocktails, and they can also be fairly easy to use, but they are usually reserved for cocktails with egg whites in them. These cocktails would be shaken, and then poured through both a hawthorne strainer and mesh strainer to create a creamy mouth feel with a foam the egg white creates.

Jigger: Measure for Balanced Flavor Profiles in Your Cocktails

Cocktail recipes are balancing distinct flavors to create an enjoyable taste and mouthfeel, and if you want a truly great cocktail experience, you're not going to get it by "eyeballing" the pours. A jigger is a handy measuring tool that allows you to pour 1 oz of liquor (and often they're double-sided for a 1.5 oz pour as well) with ease.

Opt for a double sided jigger if you can - it will make your life behind the bar so much easier - and stainless steel is the optimal choice here as well.

Bar Spoon: Mixing Spoon with a Long, Thin Handle for Stirring

When it comes to making drinks that aren't shaken, a bar spoon is what helps you bring the drink flavors together. There's probably no such thing as too long of a handle with this mixing spoon tool - you'll want to keep your hand dry and out of the drink as you mix in your bar mixer, so use that height as your guide. We recommend sticking to stainless steel or glass again here.

A Note on Muddlers

Unless you are a big fan of fresh herbs and fruit in your cocktails, a muddler is probably not a bar tool you need to invest in right away. That having been said, if you love Starbucks' take on tea with muddled fruit or you're a fan of mint juleps, we recommend a stainless steel muddler with a long, thin handle that will allow you to make individual drinks just as easily as larger batches. Always muddle in stainless steel, and never glass.

Everything You Need to Make a Delicious & Beautiful Cocktail Like Professional Bartenders

This list will help you stock your home with everything you need to recreate your favorite cocktail recipes at home - or to pull together a great gift for someone who's looking to try their hand at mixology. But remember, there's nothing wrong with the "easy button" in life -- and we won't tell your guests your drinks came from JAi if you don't.