12 Must-have Bar Accessories

We know there’s the saying ‘a bad worker blames his tools’, but for even the most skilled bartenders, utensils are super necessary! While a good bartender can whip you up a delicious drink, there are certain utensils that make their lives a lot easier. Let’s take a look at some of the must-have accessories for a bar.

Cocktail shaker

Because what’s a bar without cocktails, right? To make sure you’re shakin’ and stirrin’ like the best of them, a good cocktail shaker is a must behind every bar. Not only does it look professional and is very fun to use, but a cocktail shaker also dilutes drinks better than a stirrer, plus it lowers the temperature of drinks faster. From a martini to a margarita, there’s no beating a cold, freshly shaken drink!

Sharp Knives

With great drinks comes great garnishes, and to have them cut in a presentable way, you’ll need some good quality, sharp knives. To add a professional touch to your bartending skills, it’s good practice to have a specific set of utensils and knives that always remain behind your bar, it also means you can prep in advance. There’s nothing more awkward than a guest having to wait for you to grab a knife from your kitchen to slice lime for their beer!

Blender

While a cocktail shaker can help you whip up delicious fresh drinks, what about frozen ones? A strawberry daiquiri can be made very quickly using a blender, as can a delicious minty mojito. For the at-home bartenders that like to get more creative - a blender is perfect for making bespoke simple syrups that will really put a unique twist on cocktails!

Shot measures

Often people will blame a bad, post-house party hangover on the fact that ‘there’s never any measures’. Well, that’s where shot measures or jiggers come in. With people becoming more responsible drinkers nowadays, guests will appreciate having their drinks accurately measured. It means they won’t go overboard, but it also results in a nicer, more balanced drink.

Glassware

Stating the obvious with this one, but having the right glassware can really impress. Nobody wants a wine in a pint glass or a beer in a rocks glass. Invest in a variety of good quality glassware that will complement your drinks. Polish these up by holding them over a bowl of hot water, and wipe the steamy glass with a dry cloth before everyone arrives!

Grater

For certain cocktails like a Whiskey Sour or an Old Fashioned, zest is best! To quickly zest an orange or a lemon, it’s definitely a good idea to invest in a high-quality grater. Not only will fresh zest enhance the flavour of your drinks but it’ll also add that ‘wow’ factor to the appearance of the finished product!

Spirit Pourer

Who wants to waste time having to open and close the lids of spirit bottles over and over again? We sure don’t! Whoever invented the spirit pourer definitely just wanted to keep the good times going - and the drinks flowing! Remove the bottle cap and push the spirit pourer into the bottle - it’ll then have its very own spout!

Dishcloth

We briefly mentioned using a dishcloth for polishing glassware, and while this is an essential part of being a bartender, so too is keeping your bar clean! The last thing you want is someone’s sleeve making contact with a wet bar counter, it’s annoying for your guests regardless of how good your drinks are! Keep a stash of dishcloths handy so you can wipe as you go and leave your bar spick and span!

Pen and paper

Pen and paper may seem like an obvious thing, but when it’s missing from a bar it makes a big difference! Maybe you need to write down what stock you need, or perhaps you’re trialling a new cocktail recipe and aren’t sure of the steps just yet, having a notepad and pen will always be a worthwhile exercise!

Chopping board

A sharp knife and a chopping board go hand-in-hand behind every bar! Whether you’re slicing citrus fruits or chopping mint for mojitos, a decent chopping board is key. To avoid flavours cross-contaminating, it might be a good idea to have one board for juicy fruits, and another for leaves, and other garnishes.

Wine opener

While there are some hacks floating around about opening a bottle of wine without a corkscrew (like placing a bottle in a shoe), this is not what you want to resort to when you’re having friends around to your home bar. To avoid running the risk of destroying an expensive bottle of wine, have a good quality wine opener handy so everyone can keep their shoes on!

Muddler

Sometimes it’s good to ‘muddle’ things up, it certainly is behind a bar anyway! A muddler is a pretty unique bar tool, with a substitute hard to come by. Long, narrow and cylindrical it’s basically a modern-day pestle that grinds and infuses the flavours of your drinks.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get that home bar up and running! You’ll find all the basic essentials for your home bar at sessions liquor stores, or check them out online at sessionsliquor.com.au