• Hawthorne Strainer: You usually use a Hawthorne strainer with a Boston shaker. It keeps ice in the shaker while allowing fruit pulp to pass through.
• Cutting Board and Knife: You’ll want to prepare your garnishes and have them set to go before the party. But a cutting board and knife come in handy if you start to run out.
• Bar Spoon: Have one ready for layering, stirring, and pulling cherries and olives from jars.
• Muddler: Use it for mashing fruit or mint leaves into the bottom of a glass.
• Corkscrew: If you serve a lot of wine, a winged corkscrew makes it easy to get those bottles open.
• Ice Bucket: No matter how small the party, you’ll need LOTS of ice. A good ice bucket keeps ice from melting. And it’s indispensible if you’re bartending outside.

Nice-to-haves:

• Blender: Make sure it can crush ice!
• Bottle Stoppers: Especially useful for maintaining the bouquet in wine
• Julep Strainer: This smaller strainer is ideal for straining into narrow glasses.

GLASSWARE

Bartender’s Tip: Try chilling your glassware in the freezer, or by filling with ice cubes, before use. Always hold glassware by the base or stem to avoid leaving finger marks.

Must-haves:

• Martini, or Cocktail Glass: Martini glasses have a chic, slender stem that lets guests hold their glasses in an elegant movie-star manner, without warming the drink.
• Old Fashioned Glass or Rocks Glass: Short and sturdy with a heavy base, it’s the quintessential tumbler for whiskey and drinks served on ice.
• Highball, or Collins Glass: Taller than a rocks glass, the highball is used for drinks with larger amounts of mixer, such as a Scotch and Soda.
• Wine Glass: The long stem on a wine glass keeps chilled wines from getting warm, and the bowl shape of the glass concentrates the wine’s flavors or “bouquet.” Red wine glasses typically have a larger bowl than white wine glasses.

Nice-to-haves:

• Champagne Flute: The narrow shape helps keep the carbonation in your bubbly.
• Snifter: Usually used for serving brandy, the bulbous shape concentrates the aroma.
• Pint Glass: A classic for beer that’s also useful for serving low-alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks. A must-have if you’re using a Boston shaker.
• Shot Glass: A thick-walled glass for serving shots or spirits.

Remember, any cocktail is best enjoyed in moderation, and only by those of legal drinking age.