In cocktail making – balance is key! Whether we are mixing an equal-parts Negroni – or a more complex recipe like a Mai Tai – It’s important to understand the proportions of a recipe – and equip ourselves with the right tools. Around the world, recipes are written using different scales of measurement. ml are the most accurate, while oz and parts can initially be easier to memorise. Our advice is to stick to one – at least within the same recipe. When measuring your ingredients, it’s recommended to use a jigger for consistency. There’s many different styles of jiggers – and it’s all about finding the one that suits you. Start off with a 30-45ml or a 30-60ml – both are versatile and often feature multiple measuring lines. When pouring, it’s important to be precise: Always make sure that your jigger is parallel to the ground and not slanted – Stop when the liquid hits the mark – be careful not to over or underpour – And when you pour – do it with a single, confident movement. Remember to rinse your jigger before measuring a new ingredient that doesn’t belong to the same recipe – you don’t want to contaminate flavours. So get out there – study different recipes – repeat them using the right measurements – And don’t forget to taste your drinks – to ensure you’re keeping your balance in check!

When it comes to mixing, nothing is as personal as your shake! Generally speaking, we shake cocktails that contain multiple ingredients with different densities or compositions – like spirits, liqueurs, fresh juices and syrups. Depending on your shaker and skills, you can create unique textures and temperatures – as different cocktails require different sorts of shake. Common shaker styles include: 

• The Continental, or Cobbler Shaker – unique for its built-in strainer. 

• The Boston Shaker – traditionally used in American bartending. 

• Its contemporary – the Toby Shaker – with both ‘tins’ made of metal. 

• and less diffused styles – like the Parisian Shaker. 

All shakers are unique and have different characteristics – but ultimately, the goals are the same: To mix the ingredients, creating a good amount of dilution from the ice – and to incorporate air, that will create textural bubbles on the top of and through our drinks. Here’s some tip to improve your shaking game: 

• Widen your stance to improve your balance; 

• Use good quality ice – and fill your shaker as much as possible 

• Be careful not to hold the shaker from the middle of its body, as you will absorb precious temperature from the metal 

• Shake hard! – allowing the ice and content to travel from one end of the shaker to the other. 

• And strain your drink quickly, before the ice melts too much – nobody wants an over-diluted drink! 

When shaking, always think about what you are trying to achieve for that particular drink – And ask yourself why you are doing it that way – and what’s happening inside your tins while you’re doing it.

Many classic drinks – like the Martini or the Manhattan – are usually stirred in a mixing glass or beaker with ice – before being strained into their final serving vessel. The act of stirring is done to gently combine all of the ingredients – maintain a silky texture – control dilution – and preserve clarity – without incorporating unnecessary air bubbles. There is much debate as to the best vessel for stirring a cocktail – some prefer glass to metal, or vice versa. Metal does heat up and cool down faster than glass, therefore using less energy. However, a thick mixing glass will have more thermal mass and can absorb more energy. Therefore, pre-chilling a mixing glass will make it as good, if not better than an un-chilled metal tin. When recipes call for a cocktail to be stirred & strained:

• Measure the ingredients into the mixing glass & fill with ice. 

• Slide the spoon down the side of the mixing glass – and gently stir around the inside wall. 

• Stir at a consistent pace for approximately 30 seconds – or until the appropriate amount of ice subsides in the liquid. 

• Place a julep strainer onto the mixing vessel and strain. 

Don’t forget to rinse the vessel in cold water – and prepare for your next cocktail!

From basic mixed drinks to more complex classic cocktails – most drinks that require stirring or shaking will also need to be strained before serving. Quite simply, the purpose of straining a drink is to remove particles such as ice, fruit or herbs after shaking or stirring has occurred – and to halt further dilution. Some strainers have tiny prongs that assist with positioning in the right place on top of the shaker – other styles have no prongs and simply sit inside the shaker. There are three types of strainer that are commonly used: 

1. The Hawthorne Strainer Probably the most recognisable of the three and is often just called a cocktail strainer. It is most commonly used with a Boston tin when straining drinks that have been shaken with things like fruit juice and herbs. 

2. The Julep Strainer The Julep Strainer was traditionally served with a mint julep before straws were commonplace – to prevent the drinker from getting a face full of ice – or mint in their teeth. It is usually used when straining drinks that contain straight spirits that have been stirred with ice in a mixing glass. 

3. The Fine Strainer Usually used in addition to a Hawthorne or Julep strainer – or even a cobbler shaker – Fine Strainers are only required when drinks are served ‘up’ or are shaken with herbs or seeds that need to be removed when serving ‘on the rocks’. 

So explore the different strainers out there – experiment with recipes – and see what type works best for your drink.

Blenders are not just great tools for making your morning smoothie – or for creating Pina Colada’s in Caribbean beach bars. A blender is a clever tool that anyone can use to elevate texture, drop temperature and increase efficiencies behind the bar. The main purpose of blending is to incorporate ice into your drink in a homogenised fashion – to create a smooth mouthfeel You can take almost any cocktail and turn it into a frosty, textural and refreshing rendition. But before you get started, you need to consider exactly what you want the blender to do? For example – when Flash Blending – you need a smaller amount of crushed ice to mimic the act of shaking. But – If you’re looking to make a cocktail more like a frozen Pina Colada – you’ll need larger amounts of cubed ice to add volume, dilution and texture. The balance between spirits, juices, sweeteners and other ingredients will also help to achieve the desired outcome of your blending. And be aware of how temperature alters how you perceive certain flavours – for example; a colder drink will display more acidic notes and can make your drink taste exceptionally unbalanced. Blenders offer many interesting solutions behind the bar – it’s over to you to discover if your favourite cocktail will blend up a storm!

Do not be fooled by the apparent simplicity of a ‘built’ drink. Though a ‘built’ drink requires no shaking, stirring, blending or other additional techniques – there are still several important elements to consider. Most importantly – Ice! When it comes to ice – there are 2 main approaches: ‘Ice first’ – and ‘Ice last’. Ice First is the more common approach. The preferred spirit or base liqueur is poured over ice – followed by the mixers or carbonated ingredients – to top up the mixture. Positives with this approach are: Ease of execution, speed – and a simple way to measure your mixer based on your glassware size. However, a growing number of bartenders are also adopting the ‘Ice last’ approach. Benefits to this include: Consistency – dilution – and temperature control. Pouring liquids into the glass before ice will allow the latter to mingle more evenly. This is different to liquid being poured over ice – where at times liquids can tend to layer. There is no right or wrong way with ice in built drinks – just do what works best for the type of service and bartending that suits you. But remember – whatever you do with ice – always use plenty of it.

Choosing the right vessel to serve your cocktail in is essential. There are a myriad of different styles, materials and applications out there – but let’s start with the three major categories: 

1. Tall Glasses High Balls, Tall tumblers, Collins – there are many names and subcategories for Tall Glasses – but all are generally used for long drinks; either carbonated or still – and with various styles of ice. They are the right size to accommodate your drink and allow for enough ice to leave a good wash line at the top of the glass 

2. Short Glasses The most versatile when it comes to catering for your cocktails. Rocks, Lowball, Old Fashioned – Double Old Fashioned! – they go by many different names and come in all shapes and sizes Best for more spiritous drinks which are not lengthened with a mixer – and where a large ratio of ice to liquid is necessary to restrict dilution. 

3. Stemmed Glasses Some of the most elegant cocktail serves out there. From the Martini glass to the Coupe – these types of glassware can accommodate for stirred and strong cocktails as much as they can for fluffy sours. One stemmed glass not to be ignored is the wine Glass – a must have for serving the iconic Aperol Spritz or Campari Spritz. 

Every single category of glassware has unique shapes and sizes that will change the functionality and thermal characteristics of your cocktails – So take the time to research what will service your drink the best.

Whether it be a simple lime wedge or a thick grapefruit peel – we require a set of tools behind the bar to allow us to cut, slice, peel and portion. Being familiar with these tools will give you confidence, improved consistency and speed of service. Let’s look at some staples that every bar should be equipped with: 

1. The Serrated Pairing Knife Sharp, versatile and inexpensive – these knives are your safest choice for cutting citrus fruit into wedges, slices and wheels. They are perfect for pitting – and though it takes a bit of practice, the blade bends just enough to allow you to work around the peel, preserving just the portion that you want. 

2. The Sharp Pointy Pairing Knife. These are best for more precise work. Such as the trimming of excess citrus fruit core in wedges and slices – or trimming the exterior portions of citrus peels. 

3. The Classic Peeler Peelers are a great tool for consistency and speed when needing a lot of same size and thickness citrus peels. Simply apply different levels of pressures to adjust thickness.

 Do not take your tools for granted – a good set will drastically improve your bartending day-to-day execution. Look after your knives and peelers – and they will look after you.

The tool kit of each bartender is somewhat personal – as you need to equip yourself with what’s best for your style of bartending. Here are a few friendly tools that should come in useful: 

1. The Mexican Elbow – Citrus is the life of many classic cocktails. And there are many ways to extract the juice out of a lime or a lemon. However, we believe the most agile tool to get you from point A to B – is the Mexican Elbow. They come in different sizes, materials and shapes – but they all follow the same principle: But up – flash down – one hard press with 2 hands. 

2. Chefs Tweezers – A divisive topic in the bartending world. The reality is that chefs tweezers are functional from both a hygienic and accuracy standpoint. We recommend having 2 pairs on hand – a larger ice thong – and a thin tweezer for delicate garnishes that require precision. 

3. Muddler – Most popular between the 90’s and early 00’s when caipirinhas reigned supreme – a heavy duty muddler is a game changer when dealing with fresh fruit and other ‘smash-able’ ingredients. Always muddle on a flat surface – and rinse thoroughly under running water to finish your tropical number . 

These are just a few tools that we would recommend – but you must figure out what works best for you. Experiment – and enjoy.