To turn from a guy on tap into a real bartender, you need to study professional tools and learn how to use them. The complete set of tools contains more than thirty items, but first you should master the basic ones. And there are very few of them.
Basic bartender tools
Shaker - a glass for mixing cocktails. There are two models. The first is a classic shaker made of three components - a vase, a filter and a lid. It is usually completely metallic. This shaker has a number of disadvantages: it is slow to prepare cocktails, it is difficult to open and difficult to clean. Because of these shortcomings, the item is used less and less today. The best classic shakers for home use (to wow guests on the spot) can be found in the flea and antique markets of France and England.
The second version of the shaker is the modern Boston. Consists of two parts - metal and glass. A filter or a bar strainer through which cocktails are poured exist separately. Boston Shaker compares favorably with its counterpart - the classic shaker, speed, efficiency and simplicity. It has recently become more and more popular among bartenders all over the world.
After making a cocktail, the shaker is immediately washed, and only after that the drink is served to the client.
Striner is a bar strainer or filter. Used in conjunction with a boston shaker. It is placed on a mixing glass and held by hand while pouring cocktails. An additional retainer is a spring.
Bar spoon for mixing cocktails. Sometimes it has a small pistil on the back for crushing fruit. The pistil can be smooth or grooved. For mixing, use this tool with the back side or turn the convex side towards the ice so as not to break fragile pieces. In addition, a spoon is used in the preparation of multilayer cocktails; in this case, an adapted version of the tool with a special flat part located at an angle is used. In this case, the spoon is placed between the walls of the glass and the liquid is slowly poured on its back side.
Jager is a metal measuring cup. It is used in the preparation of cocktails. Its volume is from 30 to 60 ml. or 1-2 oz. The metal case guarantees the safety of the cup for a long time.
Supporting tools
Auxiliary tools include cutting boards, knives for decorative cutting, a geyser - a nozzle for pouring drinks, mainly strong alcohol, a nutmeg grater, A whole set of tools exists for supplying ice - tongs and an ice bucket, ice crushers. A handy winged corkscrew is best for uncorking wine bottles, for champagne - a bottle opener - a clip.
A separate column is the knife for the "sommelier" The old-fashioned sommelier is a cup-bearer, today a person who makes a wine list, does wine tasting, and helps customers choose a restaurant drink. In fact, bartenders rarely use this knife, preferring simpler and more convenient tools.
In addition to all of the above, the bartender must have in his arsenal a manual squeezer for citrus fruits and a pestle or mudler for squeezing fruit juice directly into the glass.
