Home Bar Sets: What Kind of Tools Do You Need?

When it comes to home bars, no bar is complete without a set of bartending tools. Most tools come as part of home bar sets, in which all of the tools are included within the set and are usually housed in a cool looking holder so that you can display the tools out on the top of the bar for added visual interest.

If you’re in the market for home bar sets and are not quite sure what types of bartending tools you’ll need, here is a rundown of some of the main tools included with most sets so you can make sure that the home bar set you choose has everything you will potentially need to make the best drinks in town.

Most home bar sets contain some or all of the following bartending tools:

• Cocktail shaker/strainer – Cocktail shakers and strainers are one of the main bartending tools included in most home bar sets because they are a key ingredient to making most mixed cocktails. The shakers/strainers can be made from stainless or glass (they can be other materials as well, but these are the most popular) and are basically large glasses that have a cover so a drink can be shaken. Then when the drink is poured out into a cocktail glass, any ingredients that are not supposed to wind up within the finished drink itself, such as ice, can be strained out so just the liquid of the drink is poured into the glass and the unwanted ingredients remain behind within the strainer.


• Cocktail stirrer – A cocktail stirrer is basically a long thin object that is used to stir or mix drinks. These are similar to the plastic stirrers you sometimes get in a drink at a bar, but the ones included in home bar sets are usually stainless steel or glass so they can just be rinsed off and used over and over in the preparation of drinks.


• Jigger – A jigger is a small, shot size glass that is used to measure the amount of alcohol that is added to drinks (they are generally around one ounce).


• Bottle/can opener – This basic tool is used to open bottles and cans.


• Corkscrew – This tool is used to remove the cork from wine bottles.


• Ice tongs – Home bar sets are not complete without a set of tongs to pick up cubes of ice and place them in the glasses.


• Bar knife – A bar knife is basically a small, sharp knife that is used at the bar for cutting lemons, limes, and any other small items needed in the preparation of cocktails.


• Ice bucket – In some home bar sets, the ice bucket serves as the base of the container to house all of the bartending tools (they usually fit into a base that sits inside of the bucket but can be easily removed when you need to use the bucket to fill with ice), and in other models, the set of bartending tools is completely separate from the ice bucket, or an ice bucket is not even included in the set.


• Organizing stand – Most home bar sets come with some type of stand or organizing device that houses all of the bartending tools in an attractive or compact fashion. Since many of these sets are kept out on the top of the bar, the stand, along with the tools, is often decorative in nature in additional to being functional, so you can select from among home bar sets that suit your decorative style.

When it comes to buying home bar sets you will need to keep in mind the types of tools you need for drink preparation as well as the decorative style of the set and how it fits into your décor. Another factor that may come into play when selecting home bar sets is the price. Prices of sets can vary widely based on the number of tools, materials, and design.