25 Holiday Gift Ideas For Men | The Best Barware For At-Home Cocktails

Momose doesn’t have a strong muddler preference, but warns against purchasing “a cheap muddler with a faux wood coating that comes off into the drinks over time.” We like the wood and corian muddler by AHeirloom. Aside from being beautiful, it is crafted from sturdy maple or walnut wood. The tip is ridged to help crush herbs and fruit, and is made from reinforced corian, which is built to last. 

$28

Blenders are the foundation of frozen margaritas, piña coladas and most drinks on the slushy end of the spectrum. But Morgenthaler says he uses them for almost any shaken cocktail: “Blenders are my favorite underrated bar tool. You can make multiple drinks at once—just add one ice cube at a time and run until it is completely disintegrated. You end up with a perfectly cold, aerated and diluted cocktail.” Morgenthaler stands by any high quality blender that can handle ice cubes, and we like the Ninja Professional. “You don’t have to go ridiculously high end,” he says. “But when I was younger I had a cheap one and the motor literally smoked after a couple of uses.”

$132

Cocktail shakers are, without a doubt, the star of the bar cart. But not all shakers are built the same. A great shaker, Momose says, is “all about the size, balance, and high-polish on the interior, which leads to better aeration.” While she notes that each person’s shaker style is different, she swears by the stainless steel Micro Bubble Cobbler shaker by Yukiwa to craft her cocktails.

$72

Cocktail jiggers are essentially small measuring cups—typically hourglass shaped and made of stainless steel—used to portion out just the right ratios of spirits and other cocktail ingredients. “I used to be a snob for stainless steel,” Bainbridge says. “But now I am all for utility!” Her pick is technically not a cocktail jigger, but rather a mini angled measuring cup by OXO. The clear plastic allows you to easily see the amount of liquid inside (up to 1/4 cup), and the spout reduces spillage.

$5

Gorgeous, one-of-a-kind glassware can uplift any cocktail experience. Momose says she finds a lot of her glassware on trips to Japan or on Etsy. “It is fun to find unique pieces which bring joy to those who drink from them” she adds. But as Morgenthaler puts it, “I’ve learned that no piece lasts forever. It’s not a question of if a glass will break, but when.” For a home bar he suggests stocking up on glassware from Riedel, which offers elegance and good design with a moderate price tag.

$15

The right glassware will take your at-home bartending to the next level. Here are our picks for martinis, spritzes and more.

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