Before we craft many more cocktails together, let’s take a moment to go over some of the most basic tools of the trade. If you’re entering the world of cocktails, these are the essentials:

Jiggers
Short for “thingamajigger” (yes, really), jiggers are the most precise way to measure fluids unless you’ve mastered counted pouring. Jiggers are small two-sided conical measuring vessels that usually come in standard units, but make sure to check what you’re buying! My very first jigger was an unmarked 1 oz by 1.5 oz, both of which are useful sizes, but they usually aren’t a standard pairing; most standard jiggers feature a unit and then its double. Probably the two most useful jigger sizes are .5 oz by 1 oz and 3/4 oz by 1.5 oz, but you can also find 1 oz by 2 oz. Professional bartenders will often keep these three jiggers lined up at each bar station for quick measurement, but in a home bar, even owning all three is a little excessive. After all, it doesn’t take that much more time to pour a second 1 oz shot.
My jigger of choice (on the left in this picture) is an OXO brand that I picked up at Target for under $10. What makes this jigger so special is how it’s lined:
The 1.5 oz side has lines along the interior that indicate 3/4 oz and 1/3 oz.
The 1 oz side has lines indicating 1/2 oz and 1/4 oz.
Basically, any measurement I need is satisfied by this one jigger, so it has been well worth the investment.

Bar Spoons
The ideal implement for stirring cocktails, bar spoons feature a long spiraling handle with a shallow bowl at the end. The spiraling handle helps the spoon to spin on your fingertips as you stir, and your goal is for the back of the spoon to always rest against the edge of your mixing glass. When done right, stirring is as simple as a quick back-and-forth motion of the fingers as the spoon rotates in your grip.
The American style of bar spoon (bottom in this picture) is lighter with a smaller bowl and a decorative handle at the top of the stem. Some mixologists actually recommend putting a small bend in this spoon to make for less hand movement in mixing, but given that bar spoons cost money, I haven’t gotten up the guts to try this. Besides, I only just got my American bar spoon and haven’t gotten used to it yet.
My preferred bar spoon is the European style (top in this picture). In addition to having a slightly larger bowl, this bar spoon features a thicker stem with a flat muddler end. I’m a big fan of tools that can serve multiple functions, and this spoon fits the bill. Pick up one of these, and you’ll save some space in your liquor cabinet and save some cash on a muddler.

Shakers
Shakers are a crucial tool for drinks containing citrus and other juices, and shaking a drink with ice is one of the most effective ways to cool it quickly. Every shaker functions on the same basic technique: forming a seal to contain the liquid, shaking vigorously, and then straining the drink out into a glass. Even with the wide variety of shakers available, there is only one you really need, and it’s hands down the simplest design and the easiest to use. I own three types of shakers:

My first shaker was a three-part 28 oz tin that featured a built-in strainer sealed by a 1 oz end cap (which can serve as a jigger or shot glass in a pinch). This variety is fairly iconic and perfectly effective, but the many parts make it frustrating to clean.
Later on, I picked up a two-part metal shaker set that featured a standard 28 oz tin and a smaller 16 oz “cheater tin.” This shaker looks beautiful, but when filled with ice, the metal tins have a way of contracting and getting stuck together, making this shaker a hassle to use. (Incidentally, in the event your shaker gets stuck together, tap around the edge of it with your bar spoon until it loosens. This technique looks more professional than hitting the shaker against the bar, and it reduces the risk of denting the shaker in the process.)
Okay, at last we’ve arrived at nature’s perfect mixing vessel, the Boston shaker. This tool seems almost criminally simple; it’s far less expensive than the others; and more than likely, you already have half of it in your kitchen cabinet. To make a Boston shaker, get a 28 oz metal mixing tin, and use an everyday pint glass as the other half. With glass and metal cooling at different rates, you won’t run nearly the risk of the shaker halves sticking together. If you’re practicing free pouring, the glass half gives you a great way to eyeball your levels, and when you’re done shaking, loosening the two halves slightly can make a good makeshift strainer. If you’re in the market for a shaker, The Boston shaker is the simplest, most effective, and most economical option. At this point, it’s all I use.

Strainers
Strainers keep the leftovers of the mixing process (ice, bits of fruit, etc.) out of a drink when it’s served. The type of strainer you use depends heavily on what sort of mixing you’re doing. There are two common varieties:
The Hawthorne strainer (shown here) resembles a flattened spoon with a wire rim best used in conjunction with a Boston shaker. That wire rim is outstanding for catching loose bits of citrus, so when you’re thinking of shaking a drink, keep a Hawthorne on hand.
There’s also the julep strainer, a slotted, short handle spoon that fits inside a mixing vessel to hold back ice. These are ideal for stirred drinks, but they’re really only effective if they’re fitted precisely to the mixing vessel, so the best way to pick one up is in a set. This will probably be the next cocktail-related item I gift myself.
Of course, I also keep a small mesh kitchen strainer on hand in case I ever need to double-strain a cocktail. This can be the case when your recipe involves seasonings or seeds or pulp that might make it past the Hawthorne. I had to use this technique recently, so check out that experiment for more details.

Citrus Tools
There are a few other miscellaneous tools you’ll need when working with citrus. In addition to keeping a small knife around, I also like to have a peeler on hand. Sure, your knife could serve this purpose, and the peeler frequently leaves a rough edge, but as someone who’s had a knife slip on his hand before, I find the safety of the peeler worth it.
Lastly, a good juicer is essential. Lime juice and lemon juice factor into more cocktails than I can count, so you’ll be using this a lot! Look for comfort and functionality in your juicer, and remember to always squeeze slowly so that you don’t spray your whole kitchen with lemon juice.

So, if you’re looking for the most basic and effective home bar set up, you’ve got your shopping list:
– jigger (lined if possible)
– European bar spoon
– Boston shaker (28oz metal tin and pint glass)
– Hawthorne strainer (optional: julep strainer and mixing vessel)
– citrus juicer (optional: peeler)
For virtually every cocktail on this blog, these tools are all you will need. Happy mixing!