Step 1: Your shopping list
Don't try to copy the packed shelves of your favorite bar. Instead, ask yourself: what do you actually like to drink? The idea is to stock the bottles that match your drinking habits, and build a home bar that's made for you. That way you can enjoy a cocktail in your pajamas on the couch, and look like a real expert when you're hosting.
We're big Margarita fans, for example, so you'll always find a good blanco tequila and a quality orange liqueur at our place. Orange liqueur, by the way, goes into countless other cocktails, which makes it a smart first buy.
Step 2: Find out what you like
Not sure what you like yet? Go on a tasting tour. There are great cocktail bars in almost every city: try, taste and discover new flavors. If you're a gin person and want to go beyond the gin and tonic, try a Basil Smash, a modern cocktail that has already become a classic. You'll find the recipe in the next step.
Step 3: Three classic cocktails to start with
The best way to start making cocktails at home is with a few simple classics. These three need only a handful of ingredients, and each one teaches a different technique.
Margarita
- 50 ml blanco tequila
- 30 ml orange liqueur (such as Cointreau)
- 25 ml fresh lime juice (or lemon, if you can't find limes)
Add everything to a shaker with ice, shake hard for about ten seconds and strain into a glass. For a salted rim, run a lime wedge around the edge of the glass and dip it in salt before pouring, or in chili salt, the way we like it.
Negroni
- 30 ml gin
- 30 ml Campari
- 30 ml sweet red vermouth
Stir in a mixing glass with ice for 20 to 30 seconds, strain into a short glass over one large ice cube, and garnish with an orange peel. And to settle the eternal question: orange, not lemon.
Basil Smash
- 60 ml gin
- 30 ml fresh lemon juice
- 15 ml simple syrup
- A handful of basil leaves, about ten
Muddle the basil in a shaker, add the rest of the ingredients and ice, and shake hard. Double strain into a short glass over ice and garnish with a basil leaf.
Simple syrup takes a minute to make: mix equal parts sugar and hot water until the sugar dissolves, then let it cool. It keeps in the fridge for about two weeks.
Step 4: Home bar tools, and what to use instead
Now it's time to meet the essential bar tools, along with the kitchen alternatives you probably already have. With a little creativity, anyone can make a great cocktail.
Shaker
Whether it's a Boston shaker, two tins that fit into each other at a slight angle, or a classic three-piece cobbler shaker with a built-in strainer, the goal is the same: shake it. Every cocktail has its own shaking time. Just don't overdo it, or the ice will melt too much and water down your drink.
Home alternative: a clean glass jar with a lid that closes tightly. A jar that started life as strawberry jam makes a perfectly good shaker.
Strainer
A strainer keeps the ice, and sometimes bits of herbs or fruit, out of your drink. Not every cocktail needs straining: a Mojito goes into the glass as it is, while a Basil Smash is double strained so no basil bits end up in the glass. A Boston shaker needs a separate strainer that fits over it, while a cobbler has one built in.
Home alternative: for double straining, the fine mesh sieve from your kitchen works perfectly.
Jigger
A jigger is an hourglass-shaped measuring tool with a different size on each side. It's one of the most important tools behind any bar, because a good cocktail depends on precise proportions. The most common jigger measurements are 30 ml on one side and 60 ml on the other, roughly 1 oz and 2 oz. You'll also find jiggers in 25 ml and 50 ml, and American-style jiggers in 1 oz and 1.5 oz. Look for one with measurement lines inside, so you can measure smaller amounts too.
Home alternative: any measuring cup marked in ml. Don't have one? An espresso cup usually holds about 50 ml, but check yours first.
Mixing glass and bar spoon
Ever noticed that bartenders sometimes stir instead of shake? The rule is simple. Shake cocktails that contain juice, syrup or egg, like a Margarita or a Basil Smash, to mix and chill them properly. Stir cocktails made only of spirits, like a Negroni or a Martini, for a clear, silky drink. For stirring, you need a mixing glass and a long, twisted bar spoon. A patterned glass mixing glass also makes any home bar look instantly more professional.
Home alternative: instead of a mixing glass, use the large tin of your shaker or a small glass pitcher. Just avoid plastic, because temperature matters. The bar spoon, on the other hand, has no real substitute: a regular long spoon doesn't glide around the ice the way a twisted one does.
Muddler
Cocktails aren't only about pouring and mixing. Many use herbs, fruit or even vegetables, and to get the juice and flavor out of them, you use a muddler, a bar tool for crushing and pressing.
Home alternative: a small soda bottle, turned upside down. Press with the cap end, finish each press with a half twist, and repeat 8 to 10 times. If it's a fizzy drink, let it rest for a few minutes before you open it.
Step 5: Glasses
Vintage glasses from the flea market, a set from IKEA or fine crystal: it's entirely up to you. For most cocktails you'll make at home, three types are enough: tall highball glasses for drinks with lots of ice and soda, short rocks glasses for a Negroni or a Basil Smash, and a classic stemmed cocktail glass, Martini style, for drinks served without ice.
Want to learn from professional bartenders?
At our cocktail workshops, every participant works with a professional set of bar tools and makes three cocktails from our menu, like the Margarita, Negroni and Basil Smash. We come to you with all the tools and ingredients, for a company event or a night with friends.
Explore our workshops