MIXING, SHAKING & STIRRING TO PERFECTION
“A poor workman blames his tools” is often said when a person does not understand his work well enough to execute it properly. However, if used to its full capabilities, tools are indispensable in any field. Bartenders who have the full knowledge of what makes a good drink and combined with the correct and complete tools of the trade will go far. Although these items look small and seem to be replaceable with common utensils, an experienced bartender knows how important they are in affecting the quality and taste of drinks.
JIGGER
This is one tool that is irreplaceable. It is made up of two small metal containers joined at their bottoms and looks like the inside of an hourglass. A bartender needs it to accurately measure the amount of shots required for a drink. One side holds 1 ounce of liquid that is often known as a “pony” shot while the other side measures 1.5 ounce which is the traditional amount of a shot. For precision, jiggers also come in millilitre measurements.
SHAKER AND STRAINER
After the jigger, a bartender must have a shaker as most cocktails are shaken or stirred before being poured into the glass. The strainer is used to keep out seeds or fruit wedges from the final drink. Many shakers come with a built-in strainer in the lid to make work faster but the standalone strainer still holds popularity.
POUR SPOUTS
Marketed to make pouring easier by screwing the spout atop the bottles and with a counting system of 1-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000, bartenders can save time and serve faster. They come in colours for easy identification and helps if there is more than one bartender station so you can allocate one colour spout to all vodkas, one for all rums and so on. However, there are opinions of spouts being inaccurate as different liquids pour at different speeds.
CORKSCREW
No doubt many wines have bottle caps nowadays but there will still be those with a cork and a 2-stage corkscrew works by taking the cork halfway up and ‘reload’ at the second stage to pull the cork all the way out.
BAR SPOON
A long spoon for mixing and tasting drinks that are served in tall glasses; some may even have a small fork on the other end to add to its usefulness.
Straining the old fashioned way
POUR SPOUTS
Marketed to make pouring easier by screwing the spout atop the bottles and with a counting system of 1-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000, bartenders can save time and serve faster. They come in colours for easy identification and helps if there is more than one bartender station so you can allocate one colour spout to all vodkas, one for all rums and so on. However, there are opinions of spouts being inaccurate as different liquids pour at different speeds.
CORKSCREW
No doubt many wines have bottle caps nowadays but there will still be those with a cork and a 2-stage corkscrew works by taking the cork halfway up and ‘reload’ at the second stage to pull the cork all the way out.
BAR SPOON
A long spoon for mixing and tasting drinks that are served in tall glasses; some may even have a small fork on the other end to add to its usefulness.
