Mixers, Garnishes & Bar Gadgets
Best Cocktail Garnishes and Drink Mixes to Make Perfect Cocktails
You've got a great bar and good liquor - add the right mixers and garnishes to the right tools to create the perfect drink.
Like your liquor choices, what you'll need for mixers and garnishes will vary depending on what cocktails you like to mix and serve. But if you want to set up a basic bar prepared for the most likely requests, it's surprisingly easy to get started, especially since many of the items you're likely to have around the house anyway!
Some of the most frequently used mixers are soft drinks. You can't go wrong with cola and lemon-lime drinks. Other popular choices are tonic water, club soda, and ginger ale.
Juices are also popular mixers. If you choose canned or bottled juices over frozen, you can avoid the need for refrigeration and take advantage of their long shelf life. Pineapple, orange, tomato and cranberry juice are found in a multitude of drinks.
Other mixers and flavorings that will add sparkle to your cocktails:
- Tabasco sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- lime cordial (sweetened lime juice)
- salt
- pepper
- bitters
- simple syrup (Heat 1 part sugar and 1 part water in a saucepan, and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Simple syrup keeps at room temperature for a couple of weeks, but eventually it will crystallize)
- kosher salt
- sugar
- heavy cream
Garnishes are the finishing touch that can turn "just a drink" into a spectacular cocktail. Good choices to keep on hand:
- green olives (pitted)
- cocktail onions
- lemons
- limes
- maraschino cherries
- celery sticks
- mint leaves
Now that you've got all the right ingredients at hand, you'll find it much easier to whip up your masterpieces if you have the right tools and gadgets. Again, you probably have many of these items around the house. If not, most of them will be as easy to find as the kitchen section of your favorite department store. You may need some of these items, probably not all of them, but usually it's easier to leave out the unneeded item than it is to remember everything!
- ice bucket & tongs
- ice crusher
- blender
- cocktail shaker
- shot glass or jigger - especially convenient is the double-sided variety that measures 1.5 ounces on one side (a jigger or shot) and 1 ounce on the other (a pony).
- chopping board
- paring knife
- peeler
- long cocktail spoon
- corkscrew
- lemon juice squeezer
- rimming box
- bottle and can openers
- measuring spoons - if you don't have a shot glass, 3 tablespoons is roughly a shot
- cocktail napkins
- coasters
- stirrers and cocktail picks
- coil style bar strainer
- wooden spoon and cup (to "muddle" or mash fruit, herbs, bitters)
- kitchen towels for wiping up spills
- wine bottle stoppers
You might also want to invest in a bartender's guide or books on wine or beer appreciation.
With your home bar, the right stock, the right garnishes and the right glassware, you're ready to entertain in style!
