Bar Tools

Bar Spoon Set from A Bar Above

I own several different bar spoons, but these are my favorites. They’re well weighted, so they feel substantial, yet very balanced and smooth when mixing. Most days, I reach for the smooth-handle spoon, though the spiral one has its place. When first starting out, you may find the spiral makes stirring easier. Each spoon is 12″ long, made from stainless steel and dishwasher-safe (if you’re not washing your barware by hand).

Viski Julep Strainer

Comfortable and easy to use, this Julep strainer, along with my spoons, sit on the bar in a mixing glass and is one of my go-to tools for almost all stirred drinks. It stainless steel, though it should be hand washed.

Oxo Hawthorne Strainer

Although I often lean toward a Cobbler Shaker, when you are using a Boston Shaker or a pair of tins, a Hawthorne strainer is often necessary. While there are many options, I like this simple Oxo version. It gives you what you need without taking up too much space and has a perfect thumb rest to help you keep it in position against the tin when pouring. Like most Oxo products, it is good quality, stainless steel and dishwasher safe, which is important since it is hard to clean that spring without shredding the sponge.

Oxo Fine Mesh Strainer

For those less common but inevitable times when you need to strain juices or other liquids, this one fits the bill. I’ve used it to strain lemon juice, catch seeds that slipped through the juicer, and even salvage a bottle of wine when fragments of cork needed removing. It is also stainless steel and dishwasher safe.

Kuhn Rikon Peelers

While your typical straight or Y-peelers may work for many tasks, in the bar you often need a thin layer of citrus peel without the bitter pith. A bartender once taught me that the secret was these Swiss-made, razor-sharp peelers. With just a little practice, you can easily remove only the layer you want from the fruit. There’s no better way to get a peel this thin, and they’re a great value in a three-pack.

It’s worth noting these peelers are carbon steel rather than stainless. Don’t let that stop you, as it only means you’ll need to hand wash and dry them thoroughly to prevent rust. Great cocktails are worth a little extra effort, and the little details matter. One important warning: they are extremely sharp and will easily slice through a paper towel when drying the blade. Make sure to fold that paper towel many times, lest you find out (as I unfortunately once did) how well they can slice a thin layer of skin from your finger!

Chef'n Freshforce Lemon Juicer

Unlike any other juicer, the Chef’n Freshforce models use a dual-geared mechanism to increase force, letting you easily extract all the juice from your citrus with less effort. You don’t need to keep squeezing harder to get the last drops. Once you use one of these, you’ll never want to use an ordinary juicer again.

While these cost a little more than a basic juicer, they are worth every penny. The lemon size handles both lemons and limes nicely, so if you’re only buying one, make it this one. I own both the lemon and lime versions, but others I know have done just fine with only the lemon juicer. They come in various colors, so be sure to choose the right size. The link here is for the 10-¼″ lemon juicer in yellow, which is the one I use and recommend.

Chef'n Freshforce Lime Juicer

This is the slightly smaller version of the Chef’n Freshforce juicer above, designed for limes. While the lemon juicer works fine for both lemons and limes, if you want both versions, this is the one to get for limes. The same note about different sizes and colors applies here. The link here is for the smaller 9″ lime juicer in lime green.