Bar Tending Tools

• Basic tools like a shaker are essential to bartending. James And James/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

  A busy night at a bar can keep a bartender moving from customer to customer for hours. Bartenders not only mix and pour drinks, but are also responsible for stocking and cleaning the bar. Additionally, bartenders have to collect on tabs and keep track of customer orders all while ensuring customers are enjoying themselves. Having the right bar tending tools can make a busy night go all the more smoothly.

Bar Blades and Bottle Openers

• You can't serve drinks at a bar without a basic bottle and wine opener. Bar blades are tools for quickly opening bottles of beer. A corkscrew is essential for opening bottles of wine. A good corkscrew will also come with a blade for cutting the foil on a wine bottle. Some corkscrews may also come equipped with a bottle opener, making a perfect all in one tool.

Mixing

• Bartenders are required to memorize a long list of mixed drink options and the necessary tools for making them. A shaker is perhaps one of the most essential tools for making a mixed drink. Shakers can combine with a mixing glass, serving as a lid, so that the drink's contents can be thoroughly shaken together before serving. Some shaken drinks also require a strainer to separate the liquid from the ice. Strainers have round flat surface covered in thin mesh and attached to a handle. Martinis are often strained so that they are served cold, but without the ice cubes. Another essential mixing bar tending tool is the blender. Blenders are important for mixing large batches of margaritas and daiquiris.

Mashing

• The mojito is a popular mixed drink. Making a proper mojito requires fresh mint ground into the drink to release the mint's flavor. A muddler is a tool used for mashing extra drink ingredients such as mint or fruit. Muddlers are often wooden, wider at the base then at the handle and are long enough to fit into a tall glass.

Measuring

• Bartenders must be careful that they are making their drinks with the appropriate amount of alcohol. A jigger is a tool with two measuring cups welded together at their bases making it shaped like an hour glass. Each cup holds a shot of liquor. Usually, one cup holds slightly more than the other, making it faster to mix drinks that require different amounts of liquor.

Garnishes

• Mixed drinks are sometimes topped with garnishes such as lemons, limes or olives. Bartenders store sliced garnishes in a garnish tray. A good garnish tray will not only organize and store garnishes, but will also keep them cold, ensuring they are fresh when they are served.