Bartender Kits, Cases, & Bags

[Chris Amirault]

I'm trying to figure out how to get my shakers, glasses, tools, books, bitters, and a fifth or three from home to work and back each week. I'm currently using a backpack, which kinda works but is flawed in that (a) some stuff doesn't fit and (b) I can never tell if everything's there.

I've been looking at better options but, like Jim Meehan, I don't think that a repurposed Koobi kit along these lines will quite work. Unlike Jim Meehan, I cannot afford his dreamy, $660 Moore & Giles bag.

I need something that can help me organize the stuff; label-friendly slots or something along those lines would help me remember not to forget. If it also fit work shoes and uni, that's a plus. And, yeah, less than $660.

Any ideas?

[Shamanjoe]

One of the best solutions I can think of Chris is a gun case. These days they make a variety of shapes and sizes, designed to hold anywhere from a single gun to your whole collection (for shooting matches, exhibits, etc). The basic scoped double-gun case is about the size of a briefcase, and comes with foam in both sides. The generic cases come with egg crate style foam that forms to whatever you put in it, but you can get higher-quality cases that have high-density foam that you can carve out into the shape you want. They also have double-sided cases that open from each side for even higher capacity.

Those cases appeal to my OCD nature when it comes to organisation. Everything is held securely, but gently, so that even fragile things can be tossed around in the trunk without fear of breakage. You should be able to fit a shaker, shot glasses, bar spoons, etc without any problem.

[Lisa Shock]

You might want to look at various toolboxes at the hardware store. I have a high-impact plastic Black & Decker tool box on wheels for my pastry equipment, I got the long one because I have rolling pins. The make smaller versions and, other companies make other configurations. You can always add dividers, or place padded bags inside.

[dukeofurl]

If you wouldnt mind, snap a photo of your all the gear you'd like to tote around. As Shamanjoe said - a gun case might be a good idea and I am an avid gun owner and I would be able to point you towards a good fit!

Are you looking at primarily hard sided or soft sided cases? The $650 bag you linked to has MANY and I mean MANY comprables in the "Jack Bauer Wannabe" world in ballistic nylon for under $100. Also worth noting is that if you want to get fancy you can go down to B&H Photo on the west side and look into getting a Pelican or Hardigg case with foam inserts, cut out what you need for your shakers, jiggers, etc and that way you know if something is missing.

[Yajna Patni]

I have one of those 60's brat pack style suitcases. I got it on ebay for $3.00. I see them a lot, if you search portable bar, or vintage portable bar. It would not hold books though. Mine has room for three bottles, or two bottles a shaker and some bitters a shaker, 5 little glasses, a stirring spoon and a tray for serving the cups on. I usually use it for camping, and pick a two bottle cocktail, Manhattan or martini usually to make.

[Chris Amirault]

Thanks, everyone. dukeofurl, I'm not going to be able to get a photo up any time soon, but here's the basic kit I imagine I'll want to pack:

3D items

Boston shaker glass & tin (one fits in the other)

Yarai mixing glass

OXO measuring cups

citrus juicer

IR thermometer

More or less flat items:

Hawthorne strainer

julep strainer

muddler

barspoons

paring knife

channel knife

cutting board

matches

perhaps a book, journal, a few sheets of paper

Bottles:

small (5-10 tinctures, syrups, bitters)

large (2-3 750 ml of booze)

Based on that, I'm thinking that I want something that is tall enough for a fifth, has a compartment for flat stuff, and sits upright. The Pelican 1430 seems to fit the bill in that regard.

Shamanjoe, the gun case idea is a good one as long as I'm not transporting liquids, which I do for workshops and work itself pretty often, and sometimes they're in squeeze bottles and thus need to be upright.

Are you looking at primarily hard sided or soft sided cases? The $650 bag you linked to has MANY and I mean MANY comprables in the "Jack Bauer Wannabe" world in ballistic nylon for under $100.

I can be swayed hard or soft, frankly. I'm not a 24 follower, so I'm not sure what a JB Wannabe means. Do you have a few examples?

I have one of those 60's brat pack style suitcases. I got it on ebay for $3.00. I see them a lot, if you search portable bar, or vintage portable bar.

Quick search turned up these. Does anyone have experience with 'em? I need something very durable in particular.

[brinza]

For traveling with booze and cocktail-making apparatus, I use this for the bottles:

Six Bottle Wine Carrier. It has a small pouch in the front that holds a couple books. In this you'd be able to carry 3 bottles, your two shakers, a bar spoon, and a few small bottles in one cell (what I like about this is the divider that keeps the bottles from clinking together). I've managed to cram way more than six bottles into this thing.

And for the implements, I simply went into Office Depot and picked up a small travel organizer for about $12 (it's actually a toiletries bag), something like this (I can't find the exact one I bought): http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/976425/Hanging-Toiletry-Bag/

Except for shakers, a bag like this will hold just about every bar tool you've got. I use the pouches on the ends for bitters.

I've also considered something like this Mobile Workmate which looks like it would hold a lot of stuff in an organized manner.

There are many laptop bags that could also be adapted for this kind of use.

All of the travel bars I've looked at, while attractive, just seem too small and too expensive. Plus, they all come with bar tools, so you're paying for something you wouldn't need.

Edited April 9, 2010 by brinza (log)

[lancastermike]

Perhaps I'm being dense, you are toting all of these things to a bar you work at, including liquor? The bar does not supply bar tools? And liquor? Or is this for a catering gig?

As always, I am really confused, perhaps I need a drink.

[Chris Amirault]

It's both for work at the bar and for workshops out and about. Having said that, I have a set of tools that I prefer to use at work (barspoons bent just so, a Boston shaker that I really like, the Yarai mixing glass, my paring knife) and often need to bring in concoctions of various sorts (pimento dram, an espresso syrup I'm working on, homemade bitters).

[Shamanjoe]

Chris, I think what is meant by JB wannabes is the new trend among people (especially gun owners, hunters, etc.) to carry and wear all manner of tactical gear. We call it tactical chic because it's mostly weekend warriors doing it.

Good point about carrying bottles as well. I didn't think about that when I suggested the gun cases. A soft-sided tactical bag would probably fit the bill there better than a hard-sided case. My personal preference though would be to carry the bottles separately. I just don't like the idea of bottles that could break or spill in with my equipment. I know, I know, it's all going to be used to mix said liquids, but I'd rather have any spills or broken glass in a separate bag/container that can be cleaned out or stuck in the washer without having to dismantle the whole kit. Any way you choose, good luck, and be sure to show us the final result!

[Chris Amirault]

Found a wee used camera case for $5 that may help out, though not a solution long term. It's also $5 -- did I mention that?