Getting started with cocktails

You don't need much—but you do need it

This one goes out to all of you who are starting from zero—or anyone whose cocktail-making gear has been causing frustration. Per usual, if you purchase things through affiliate links, I may receive a small commission.

The good news about getting started making cocktails—or getting better at making cocktails—is that there’s absolutely no need to acquire a ton of stuff.

But no matter which drinks you want to make, there are a few budget-friendly essentials that can help to smooth the process. These are the tools I reach for pretty much every day when I’m testing drink recipes or making a cocktail to serve to friends.

A good measuring tool

Maybe you have an hourglass-shaped jigger that came with some kind of cocktail-making set, and you’ve noticed that it’s both tricky to see internal measurement markings and tricky to prevent spills. Spilling extra liquid into your drinks is a quick path to cocktails that don’t taste right.

This mini angled measuring cup from OXO sits steadily on your counter, allowing for more accurate measures. It’s marked with both ounces and tablespoons, and I keep a stack of them around to use for measuring ingredients for salad dressings and sauces as well as for cocktails.

Something to shake

Most boozy drinks made without citrus, cream, or eggs—your martini, your Negroni, your Manhattan—are stirred, not shaken. So if you want to start with those, you don’t actually require a cocktail shaker.

But sooner or later, you’ll want to make cocktails with lemon or lime, or something with a nice foam on top. For these drinks, shaking is essential for both balancing the drink through dilution and creating the right texture. Some folks prefer a three-part shaker, and others find that the cap gets stuck and they just…never get that cocktail out. Spend $20-ish on a two-parter made of stainless steel and save yourself the headache.

A basic shaker set will last forever. Perhaps the most important step to improving so-so cocktails is being sure to use a lot of ice—not just a few cubes—and shaking vigorously to get a fluffy, aerated texture.

Strainers

If your strainer doesn’t fit properly onto your shaker, your cocktail will sneak around it, bringing ice and whatever bits of stuff are in the mix along. If you’re dealing with egg or muddled fruit or herbs or spices, it’s also handy to have a fine-mesh strainer—and many bartenders use these (held under the other strainer) to double-strain every shaken drink that’s served without ice.

This is my go-to cocktail strainer. If your strainer—perhaps it came with a gift set—is small and looks more like a magic wand than a big cap for your shaker, you absolutely must trade it out for a bigger one like this.

A fine-mesh tea strainer like this will catch little bits for a smooth drinking experience.

Do you need a fancy mixing spoon?

Honestly, no. A chopstick will work while you’re getting the hang of things.

Do you need fancy glassware?

Don’t ask this of someone who owns wayyy too much glassware.

Of course, drinks that are meant to be served up—that is, without ice—will not really be the same in a heavy pint glass. But you can grow your collection gradually as you get a sense of what kind of glassware feels good to you.

Make sure you have something with a stem—a Champagne saucer, coupe, or Nick and Nora, for example—plus something for rocks drinks. I love these highball glasses for anything with soda.

Speaking of glass, I’ve mentioned this before, but I find mason jars of various sizes to be crucial for anyone who makes cocktails with any frequency. Even if you only use these jars for chilling simple syrup, you’ll be glad to have them.

How about a book for cocktail beginners?

If you already know you like margaritas, say, or Bloody Marys, this book will help you find more easy drinks you’ll really enjoy.

For a little more on technique and theory, I always recommend The Bar Book by Jeffrey Morgenthaler. Yes, there are more recent tomes! And maybe you are ready to dive in even deeper. But we’ll be doing that here, too.

See you for another round next week,

Maggie