1/1/2001
Getting Equipped
Whether you make cocktails at your custom-made bar or in a corner of your kitchen, having the right tools can elevate your concoctions from mediocre to great.
Here's what any good home-bartender should have on hand:
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The Tools
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Why have them?
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| Barspoon | With a longer neck than a regular spoon, this utensil makes drink stirring easy. For pousse-cafes-rainbow cordials made with different colored liqueurs-pour each ingredient down this spoon's twisted stem to give your drink the layered look. |
| Blender | Sure, you can make daiquiris without it. But if you want them frozen, this tool's a necessity. For crushing ice, the heavier duty the motor, the better. |
| Can and Bottle-Openers | They're the best way to get juice or coconut milk out of their cans. |
| Champagne Stopper | Just in case you don't finish the bottle of champagne, the stopper will keep the bubbles inside for another day. |
| Corkscrew | Essential for opening bottles of wine and champagne efficiently. |
| Fruit Juice Extractor | Sometimes, you can't beat the taste of fresh fruit. With this gadget you can squeeze citrus juice into your glass. |
| Ice Bucket | Unless you're having the party in your kitchen, and you don't mind having your friends dig in your freezer, you'll want to keep ice in this handy holder. |
| Jigger/Pony | Better than "eye-balling" the pour, this double-cupped device measures a different measurement in each cup. |
| Measuring Spoons and a Measuring Cup | To get mixed drinks right, you need accurate ingredient proportions and measurements. |
| Mixing Glass | Just like a cake being mixed in a bowl before being baked in a pan, some concoctions, like ones that need to be strained, taste better if they're mixed in one glass and drunk from another. |
| Muddler | The mortar and pestle of the drink world. With this gadget, you can crush mint for things like juleps and muddle sugar and fruit for old-fashions and other drinks. |
| Napkins | In case you drip or, heaven forbid, spill! |
| Paring Knife & a Cutting Board | Whether fruit serves as a key ingredient or merely decoration, most likely, it'll need to be cut. |
| Pitcher | It's the easiest way to serve any drink to a group. |
| Shaker | When mixing, blending, or just combining isn't quite right for the drink you want, shake it. |
| Strainer | This essential tool fits over the shaker, so you can pour chilled drinks into glasses and keep out unwanted ice. |
| Straws | Add a final touch to blended drinks and other cocktails. |
| Swizzle Sticks | This tool lets cocktail drinkers have a little mixing control. |
Need accessories? [Visit Mixology's on-line store.]
Achieving Balance
Once you're fully accessorized and have all your drink fixings, there's one more thing you'll need to know before whipping up your mixed drinks-measurements matter. Making a cocktail using a pony of Vermouth instead of a dash, or a jigger of Vodka instead a teaspoon, could be like making a cake with a teaspoon of sugar instead of a cup-disastrous!
Here are some measurement rules to remember: 1 dash = 1/16 tsp. 2 dashes = 1/8 tsp. 4 dashes = 1/4 tsp. 1/4 oz = 1 1/2 tsp. 1/2 oz = 3 tsp. 1 oz = 2 tbsp. pony = 1 oz 1 1/2 oz = 3 tbsp. 1 3/4 oz = 3 1/2 tbsp. 2 oz = 4 tbsp. 2 1/2 oz = 5 tbsp. 3 oz = 6 tbsp. 4 oz = 8 tbsp. 6 oz = 12 tbsp. 8 oz = 16 tbsp. 24 oz = 3 cups. 1 pint = 2 cups. 1 quart = 4 cups. 1 gallon = 16 cups.
Written
by: Beth Wenger
Artwork by: Marcus Davila: