Gifts For Home Bartenders

A home bar is one of adulthood’s great pleasures. It gives you access to ingredients you know you like, and the opportunity to play around and craft cocktails that fit your tastes. And, crucially, you can take your time! A bartender at a restaurant has only minutes to put an order together, but you’ve got all the time in the world.

Thing is, building a home bar is a step by step process. Sure, you could buy everything at once, up to and including the actual bar. In reality, a true home bar, one with character, history, and memories, comes together piece by piece.

So, if you know someone building up a home bar, here are some suggestions we have that will fit anyone’s set up.

The Basics

If they’re really just starting out, then the most important pieces are a stirring spoon, mixing glass, shaker, a jigger (for measuring) and a strainer. The most versatile piece is the shaker, so if you’re picking just one, go with that. And don’t worry that someone else has thought of any of these, too. A good bar needs multiple of each of these tools!

The Upgrades

If they’ve already got plenty of the above, then consider some next level ideas. For instance, a great book of recipes. We love “The Curious Bartender” by Tristan Stephenson because it not only has recipes, but details some of the theory underpinning modern mixology.

Some other nice upgrades include a standard peeler, and a citrus twist peeler, booth of which are crucial for any home bartender’s garnish game. For lovers of the classic dry martini, we have have super sturdy, washable stainless steel olive skewers.

Drink Ingredients

Nothing takes a good drink to great faster than the right bitters! We’ve got all sorts of different types, from the classic “aromatic” bitters for Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, to different herbal concoctions, and even some floral ones. Scrappy Bitters’ lavender flavor works exceptionally well with tequila based drinks!

Bitters are not the only special ingredients at a home bartender’s disposal. We’ve also got cocktail cherries, grenadine, different juices, tonic water, even Gin & Tonic infusers! Wine Club members might remember that last one as their monthly gifts.

We hope this gets your creative juices flowing on gift ideas. If you have any questions about any of our cocktail stuff, we’d love to answer them. Happy Holidays!