Equipment Expert’s Top Picks for the Best Cocktail Equipment



Gadget critic Lisa McManus reviews cocktail tools.

Buy our winning muddler:
Buy our winning jigger:
Buy our winning Hawthorne strainer:

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22 Comments

  1. Apparently, with other important cocktail tools, it doesn't matter?? Well, do yourself a favor and get a Chef'n juicer and a good mixing glass with straight sides. Libbey makes a good one. You will also want a twisted barspoon or two.

  2. That OXO measuring cup is the handiest thing. Be careful not to keep booze in it for too long. As part of mise en place for a recipe, I poured out brandy and it sat in the cup maybe 20 minutes. Now, it's splotchy/cloudy right to where the brandy was. It still works perfectly fine and even clears up a bit when wet, but I'm careful with it now so it doesn't get worse.

  3. A muddler is fairly specialized…
    This should have been on their top 3 list as it will get you making the vast majority of cocktails.:
    Jigger. (you need an accurate way of measuring ml or oz)
    Shaking Tins (to shake or stir)
    Citrus Juicer (most cocktails require some fresh citrus)

    Followed by in this order: 
    Hawthorne Strainer (you don't want unwanted ice in your cocktail)
    Ice Molds (most cocktails that are not served up, benefit from the solo dilution process of a large cube, large cubes will also give you texture when added to shaken drinks).
    Tea Strainer (you don't want unwanted particles in your cocktail)
    Glassware (rocks and coupe glasses add to the cocktail experience) 
    Blender (for blended drinks)
    Barspoon (helps with stirring, some drinks also require "a bar spoon" of a particular liquid, or to float a spirt on top, but they are few and far-between)
    Muddler (some drinks require mint or citrus muddling, but they are few and far-between)

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