Must have cocktail making supplies not on normal lists

[Moto]

I would second the all metal boston shaker set.   I think they are much easier to use than the glass and tin combo.   I always got the glass stuck when trying the later.   I'm in a control state too and I can find them pretty cheap(under $10) in restaurant supply stores.  

 

You may also want to consider buying 2 oz boston rounds from amazon and filling them with rum and bourbon selections form your own bar then  buying minis of chartreuse, ginger liquor etc.   You could then provide recipes for your friend.

 

If you get the OXO measuring cup get the plastic one as it is much easier to see in poor light than the stainless steel.

[FrogPrincesse]

Just now, Moto said:

If you get the OXO measuring cup get the plastic one as it is much easier to see in poor light than the stainless steel.

I have both the metal and the plastic, and I actually prefer the metal. It's a bit harder to see, but then it doesn't tip over so easily like the plastic one does...

[Craig E]

I've had both and I also prefer the metal, because my plastic one got a little "etched" over time (not sure if it was due to acid of citrus, or the dishwasher).

[FrogPrincesse]

Just now, Craig E said:

I've had both and I also prefer the metal, because my plastic one got a little "etched" over time (not sure if it was due to acid of citrus, or the dishwasher).

Probably the dishwasher. I wash mine by hand and don't have this problem.

[lesliec]

I'm a little late catching up with this topic, but you've had some excellent suggestions.

 

Something I haven't seen mentioned, other than the OXO angled measuring cup, is a really good jigger.  As some of the cocktail fraternity of eG know, I commented recently on the difficulty of measuring 1/3 or 2/3 of an ounce.  A friend of mine has this one, also from OXO, which permits every measurement known to man (almost).  I covet it.

 

I do rather fancy that fancy spoon, too ...

[haresfur]

Tiki mugs

 

and little umbrellas

[tanstaafl2]

On ‎11‎/‎30‎/‎2016 at 11:08 PM, haresfur said:

Tiki mugs

 

and little umbrellas

 

Well, if you are going the tiki route with umbrellas and all then you must have "bamboo" straws as well! Either paper or I suppose you could do the real thing!

[quiet1]

I didn't manage to get a photo of the whole collection because I had some unexpected health issues and was frantically wrapping gifts last minute, but the bar stuff collection was very well received - I managed to get some Kindle versions of recommended bar books on sale thanks to this site (we won't talk about my personal cookbook collection, though...) so I just picked up a copy of The Little Black Bar Book as a hard copy reference, and tucked the codes for the other books in there, so he will have something to keep with his barware but also easy access to things that are more cover-to-cover reading like Morganthaler's book.

 

I did end up just buying a bottle of simple syrup at the state store due to the health issues which offends my sense of financial sensibility slightly but what can you do when your health throws a wrench in the works, right? They were also sold out of the Bitter Truth bitters set (bummer) so I just got a bottle of Angustura and one of Perchaurd's (sp?) so he'd at least have the basics.

 

I went with the fancy spoon just because I couldn't resist, and while I did not actually test it myself, I will say the construction quality and feel in the hand is very nice - I find it feels nicer in the hand than the typical cheaper twisted handle ones just because of the heft and smooth finish.

 

I think the spoon and the prettiness of the Koriko shakers (shiny!) and the mixing glass helped elevate the presentation of some of the other items that seem a bit more utilitarian, like the Oxo mini-measuring cup. (I went for the clear one for ease of measuring to start out with since you can look from the top or the side.) So that may be something to keep in mind if you want your home bar to look prettier or are going for a gift you want to be nice looking but practical. It definitely ended up being a set of items that looks like you could arrange it nicely on a tray as a home bar without having to hide anything if guests came over.

 

(I also picked up some minis of various spirits, but there wasn't really anything exciting there. I just tried to cover the basics - rum, whiskey, gin, vodka, a couple of liqueurs - so he could dabble with a drink or two to see what variety of cocktail he wants to experiment with first.)

[FrogPrincesse]

Hi @quiet1, thanks for the update, and sorry to hear about your health issues. The recipient of the gifts is one lucky person, and I am sure he will enjoy them!

 

I never heard about The Little Black Bar Book, can you tell us more? Or were you referring to Morgenthaler's Bar Book maybe?

 

Simple syrup isn't hard to make at all, even when you are under the weather. I just made a batch which took less than a minute. I scooped half a cup of sugar into a container (using a small funnel), and added half a cup of filtered water (you can do this by weight if you prefer). I closed the container and shook for a few seconds. I let it rest while I was preparing my cocktail, and shook it again a couple of times. Done, and no need to heat the syrup. There is no reason to ever buy simple syrup at the store!

 

Lastly, if you liked the spoon from Standard Spoon, the same people came up with a very cool looking mixing glass and muddler that are available for pre-order here. I am tempted!

 

Edited December 28, 2016 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[quiet1]

15 hours ago, FrogPrincesse said:

Hi @quiet1, thanks for the update, and sorry to hear about your health issues. The recipient of the gifts is one lucky person, and I am sure he will enjoy them!

 

I never heard about The Little Black Bar Book, can you tell us more? Or were you referring to Morgenthaler's Bar Book maybe?

 

Simple syrup isn't hard to make at all, even when you are under the weather. I just made a batch which took less than a minute. I scooped half a cup of sugar into a container (using a small funnel), and added half a cup of filtered water (you can do this by weight if you prefer). I closed the container and shook for a few seconds. I let it rest while I was preparing my cocktail, and shook it again a couple of times. Done, and no need to heat the syrup. There is no reason to ever buy simple syrup at the store!

 

Lastly, if you liked the spoon from Standard Spoon, the same people came up with a very cool looking mixing glass and muddler that are available for pre-order here. I am tempted!

 

 

 

Oops, I had the name slightly wrong, it's The Little Black Cocktail Book - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/088088360X - it's very small, pocket-sized, and spiral bound so it opens up nicely, and it just has recipes for various 'classic' drinks with a nice index at the back so you can look things up by spirit or by flavor. I forget where I saw it recommended but without trying the recipes myself, it at least looks reasonable and is a nice size to tuck in with everything else so you can quickly look something up. I did also get him the Morgenthaler book, but I got that as a Kindle version so he can read it on the go, since it is more of a cover-to-cover thing.

 

Some of my health issues were stomach-related so I skipped all homemade food gifts Just In Case. I always forget you can make simple syrup without heating it, I need to make a note of that for next time. (Heck, I might make some for myself.  )

 

I forget which other Kindle books I got - there were a bunch of them on sale before Christmas so I know I got ones I wouldn't have given as a starter bar book otherwise just because they are maybe a little in depth for someone who hasn't done much reading on the topic yet. (Like The Drunken Botanist, which looks interesting but isn't really a 'how to make drinks' guide.)

[quiet1]

Late addition to the gift came today - I ordered a copy of a homemade cocktail recipe journal called Spirt, Mixer, Glass, & Garnish which was slightly delayed in shipping. (https://store.fourlinesupply.com/collections/frontpage/products/spirit-mixer-glass-garnish-homemade-cocktail-recipe-journal) It is pretty cute - maybe a bit pricy for what it is but I don't think they are printing massive quantities to get the best bulk discounts, and it doesn't feel cheap. For most people, probably a plain notebook would do the trick for making notes, but I liked the idea of some guidance for a newbie with sections to be filled in like ingredients and notes and so on. The sections of blank pages are also divided by primary spirit, which will help keep it somewhat organized.

 

i kind of want something similar for myself now, actually. I might borrow the concept and make myself some printable pages to put in a binder - not as spiffy looking but still a good way to keep track of ideas and notes.