Bar kit

Every man and woman who makes cocktails at home has their own version of the bar kit, even if they haven’t given it the name — the favorite corkscrew, that shot glass from Cancún you use for measuring. As it is such a highly personal collection of implements, a proper kit will always be bespoke rather than one-size-fits-all. The list below, then, is a starting point rather than a shopping list and entirely based upon my martini-leaning inclinations.

• sharp knife for cutting fruit
• waiter’s corkscrew; the type with a bottle opener on the opposite end
• colorful towel or cloth for quick clean ups and champagne cork-containing abilities
• long-handled, narrow-headed stirring spoon
• strainer
• tall mixing jug for shared drinks
• shaker
• ice bucket
• juicer and strainer, either as separate reamer and strainer or an all-in-one combo
• wooden muddler for mashing herbs in glasses