After what has felt like an eternity of a year and a half, life is finally returning to some degree of normalcy. As individuals across the U.S. receive the COVID-19 vaccine and CDC restrictions lift on in-person gatherings and large groups, this summer will mark a return to hosting family and friends and reuniting with those we haven’t had the chance to see in over a year.
Gathering with loved ones and marking the end of a tumultuous 12+ months calls for a celebration, and no occasion is complete without a delicious cocktail in hand. As you prepare to host gatherings with friends and family in the coming months and don your bartender hat at home, consider purchasing these essential bartending for dabbling in mixology from your apartment.
10 Must-Have Bartender Items for Apartment Dwellers:
A Jigger
Putting too much or too little of an ingredient into a drink can completely change the taste of a cocktail, so measuring for precision is a must when crafting concoctions. A jigger is a small measuring cup designed for creating cocktails that will help ensure all ingredients are precisely measured.
OXO makes a great double-sided jigger with a non-slip grip feature and measurement options ranging from ¼ ounce to 1½ ounce.
A Cocktail Shaker
While some cocktails can be made without a shaker, others will taste far better after shaking all ingredients together. When making cocktails at home, it is recommended to use a three-piece shaker rather than a two-piece, as three-piece shakers are a bit easier to use. Two-piece shakers are more common among professional bartenders, while three-piece shakers include a strainer which makes it much more user-friendly. Opting for a stainless steel shaker is typically advised, as they’re usually dishwasher safe and won’t rust or break easily.
The OXO Good Grips Cocktail Shaker is a three-part shaker that comes with a built-in 1- and 2-ounce jigger, making it easy to measure and mix your drinks in one place. It is also dishwasher safe and stainless steel.
Cocktail Glasses
No cocktail is complete without the proper glass! The collins glass and highball glass are very similar, so it isn’t necessary to have both. Rocks glasses between six and ten ounces are also ideal when serving cocktails with muddled ingredients. If you plan on making drinks without ice, such as a martini, a coupe glass is ideal for that. Coupe glasses are typically between six and eight ounces and can be used to replace martini glasses—they also don’t spill as much as martini glasses do!
A Bar Spoon
Bar spoons, which are great for mixing cocktails, are typically 12” long, hold about 2.5ml of liquid, and have a spiraled handle. Bar spoons are ideal when mixing cocktails that are not supposed to be shaken, such as a Negroni or Manhattan.
Stirred cocktails help to reduce ice flow into the cocktail, creating a greater concentration of spirits. Most cocktails that are only comprised of spirits or involve bitters or tonics typically require the use of a bar spoon.
While there are American bar spoons, European bar spoons, and Japanese bar spoons, American bar spoons typically tend to work best due to the wider width of the spoon. The American Metalcraft 10″ Stainless Steel Twisted Handle Bar Spoon is considered among the best when it comes to bar spoon options.
A Fruit Juicer
With so many cocktails calling for fresh fruit juice, it is ideal to have a small manual juicer on hand that will help you squeeze the maximum amount of citrus into your cocktails. Although bottled juice works as well, it doesn’t have the same flavor that fresh-squeezed juice has.
The Chef’n FreshForce Citrus Juicer is great when squeezing juice directly into a glass or shaker, while this mini juicer is less expensive and also does the trick.
A Muddler
A muddler is great when making mojitos or any other drinks that involve crushing mint leaves, sugar cubes, fruit, or other tasty cocktail ingredients. Muddlers with varnish or coating can come off in the drinks, which is definitely not what your guests want to be drinking, so try to stick with a wood or metal muddler.
The Fletchers’ Mill Muddler is longer than most muddlers at 11-inches, making it ideal when making drinks in tall glasses. When choosing a muddler, it is best to go with one that has a flat base so the mint and other herbs don’t get completely torn up. One with an ergonomic handle is also far less cumbersome when making drinks.
A Mixology Kit
If you are just starting as an at-home bartender and prefer to buy everything in a set versus purchasing individual items, consider a mixology kit, which typically includes the cocktail essentials such as a mixing glass, bar spoon, jigger, shaker, strainer, and more.
This mixology kit is ideal for beginners and isn’t too expensive at only $30. It includes a shaker, strainer, jigger, bar spoon, tongs, bottle opener, and a recipe card booklet. This 23-piece set is a bit more advanced and includes a cocktail shaker, muddler, mixing spoon, jigger, strainer, corkscrew, liquor pourers, brushes, caps, ice tongs, and bottle stoppers as well as a pocket recipe book. Mixology kits also make great gifts!
Key Takeaways
Many Draper and Kramer apartments feature fantastic bartending amenities, including wine refrigerators, wet bars, and spacious kitchens with large countertops that are ideal for hosting guests or crafting concoctions on a Friday night.
Additionally, several Draper and Kramer properties offer very popular remote bar tours, wine and cheese tasting tours, and mixology tours that are tons of fun. This is a great way to make friends and participate in a safe, remote activity while working on your cocktail skills! Several Draper and Kramer residences also offer shared amenity spaces with bars, such as the Pub Room at The Aspire residence, which includes a shared amenity space with beer taps and flat-screen TVs.
Visit Draper and Kramer to schedule a virtual apartment tour today.
