Home Bar Essentials: The Tools, Bottles and Glasses You Need

To make almost any classic cocktail at home, you need just seven tools, a few core bottles and two or three types of glass. You don't need a big budget or a fancy bar cart. This guide shows what to buy first and what you can skip.

The 7 Bar Tools You Really Need

1. Shaker

For any drink with juice, cream or egg. There are two main types:

Tin-on-tin (Boston) shaker: two metal tins. What most pros use. Seals well, chills fast, hard to break.
Cobbler shaker: three pieces with a built-in strainer. Easy for beginners, but it can stick when cold.

Start with a tin-on-tin set if you can. It's cheap and lasts forever.

2. Jigger

A small double-sided measuring cup. Good cocktails depend on exact amounts, so this is the most important tool on the list. Pick one with lines inside (15, 20, 25, 30 ml or ½, ¾, 1 oz).

3. Hawthorne Strainer

The flat strainer with a spring around the edge. It sits on top of your shaker tin and holds back the ice.

4. Fine Mesh Strainer

A small kitchen sieve. Hold it under the Hawthorne strainer to catch ice chips and fruit bits. This is called double straining.

5. Bar Spoon

A long, thin spoon for stirring. The twisted handle helps it spin smoothly in the glass.

6. Mixing Glass

For stirred drinks like the martini and Manhattan. A pint glass or a large jar works fine at first.

7. Citrus Juicer

A simple hand press for lemons and limes. Fresh juice is the single biggest upgrade you can make.

Nice to have: a muddler (for mojitos), a Y-peeler (for citrus twists), a small knife and cutting board, and a large ice cube tray.

The First Bottles to Buy

You don't need 30 bottles. Start with a few that cover the most drinks:

Spirits

Gin (London Dry): Martini, Negroni, Gin Fizz, French 75
White rum: Daiquiri, Mojito, Cuba Libre
Bourbon or rye whiskey: Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Whiskey Sour
Tequila (100% agave blanco): Margarita, Paloma

Add vodka if your friends like Moscow Mules and Espresso Martinis.

Modifiers

Sweet vermouth (keep it in the fridge)
Dry vermouth (also in the fridge)
Orange liqueur like Cointreau or triple sec
Campari or another bitter aperitivo

Bitters

Angostura bitters. One bottle lasts a long time and you'll use it in dozens of drinks.

Fresh and simple

Lemons and limes
Simple syrup (make it yourself in 5 minutes)
Soda water and ginger beer

With this list, you can make most of the drinks in our easy cocktails guide.

Glasses: Start With Three

Rocks glass (short tumbler): Old Fashioned, Negroni, drinks on ice
Highball or Collins glass (tall): Mojito, Moscow Mule, Paloma
Coupe (stemmed, shallow bowl): Daiquiri, Martini, any drink served without ice

Learn more in our guide to types of cocktail glasses.

Don't Forget Ice

Ice is an ingredient. Make it with fresh water and keep it away from strong food smells in the freezer. Use plenty: a full shaker of ice makes a colder, better drink than a few cubes. A silicone tray for large cubes is cheap and makes your Old Fashioneds look and taste better.

What You Can Skip

Pre-made cocktail mixes. Fresh citrus and syrup taste much better.
Gadget kits with 20 pieces. Most of the extra tools will sit in a drawer.
Flavored vodkas and novelty liqueurs until you know you'll use them.
Expensive top-shelf bottles for mixing. Mid-range spirits make excellent cocktails.

Home Bar FAQ

What's the one tool I should buy first? A jigger. Measuring is the key to good drinks.

Can I use a jar instead of a shaker? Yes. Any jar with a tight lid works. Strain with a small sieve.

How should I store vermouth? In the fridge, sealed. Use it within a month or two. It's wine and goes stale after opening.

How much should a home bar cost? A basic tool set costs about the same as two cocktails at a nice bar. Bottles cost more, so add them one at a time.

Next Steps

Learn when to shake and when to stir in shaken vs stirred.

Want to know which drinks you'll actually like before you buy bottles? Take the taste quiz in Mixlio. It builds your flavor profile and matches you with cocktails.