About Bartending Tools

The bar is where the magic of drink mixing happens, and the person behind it is the master of libations. Whether you're talking about a professionally tended bar or a home bar, there are certain things that all bars should have. These basic bar tools allow for drinks to be made quickly and efficiently. They also promote the correct blending of ingredients, which helps give a good drink just the right taste.

Perhaps the most basic bar tool around is the bottle opener. These handy objects fit onto the sealed bottle caps of beer and like bottles. With just one quick motion, they help pry off a cap so the bottled beverage can be served. Most bars come equipped with hand-held bottle openers. Some bars, especially home bars, have a permanent bottle opener attached to the inside of the bar.

The wine opener often contains a bottle opener as well, but it works much differently. They are designed, basically, to remove the tightly packed cork from a wine bottle. The most common wine opener is the hand-held corkscrew. These are equipped with a small blade to remove the wrapping around the top of a wine bottle. A corkscrew is pulled out that can be inserted into the wine bottle. A metal grip is pressed against the edge of the bottle to give the bartender leverage in pulling the cork out.

Another bar tool that every bar should have is the shaker. These are stainless steel mixing devices that allow a bartender to mix together all the necessary ingredients of a cocktail. There are two types of shakers. The standard shaker has three parts. The first looks like a metal cup, where all the ingredients are added. The second is a lid with a strainer built into it. The third is a lid that screws onto the other two. A Boston shaker is the same, only it does not include a strainer. When all of the ingredients are added, the bartender just has to shake them until they are blended and then serve the drink.

Strainers are a tool most bars have, but also one that more experienced bartenders don't always use. They have a short handle and a circular piece with small holes used for straining. Around this is a wire coil that allows the strainer to it into different sized glasses. When a drink is mixed at a bar, there are some ingredients that should not end up in the finished product. Usually this is the ice that is added to cool the drink down. A strainer helps you pour the drink quickly and easily, without including any of the ice.

The jigger is a device that most professional bars have to use in order to mix their drinks correctly. Home bars have them as well, for the novice bartenders. These are small metal devices that look hourglass shaped. One end, though, is smaller than the other. The larger end can hold enough liquid for one shot, and the other can hold half a shot. This is used to mix drinks that have more than one type of alcohol in order to get the right taste and consistency in the drink.