THE KIT Mix it up with these cocktail essentials
We Love Harts Perfect Portmeirion pots ! Excellent , as usual . Well packed , arrived very swiftly and I was kept informed along the way . Jackie Fisher , Bath
kit
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David : One of the most important ingredients in a cocktail is ice . It has to be a decent quality and you probably need a lot more than you think . I would go through one bag of supermarket ice when making around five drinks . You can use cubed , crushed , dry , cracked as well as the larger two-inch cubes and spheres . Bartenders don ’ t fill your glass all the way to the top when you have a gin and tonic to give you less booze – the reason is to keep your glass and drink cold .
What equipment do people need to make a range of cocktails ? David : The most important piece of equipment is a jigger . Your cocktails have to have the correct ratios if you want to be consistent . Try getting one with 25ml on one side and 50ml on the other and if you can find one that has 15ml and 35ml measurements inside , even better .
Cocktail shakers ; there are different types so it depends what you find comfortable using . I use two tins on the bar , sometimes called a Boston shaker because they ’ re quicker , but I ’ m thinking about switching to the cobbler shaker because I ’ ve heard its better for your posture . The good thing with the cobbler is it has a built-in strainer , but they are slower , so , for home use , probably ideal .
Any fine-mesh sieve will do , a Hawthorne Strainer is what we fit over a Boston shaker so if you go with that style you will need one of these . Look for something with a thicker spring as some cheap ones don ’ t have a thick coil and they are useless at stopping bits of fruit going in your drink .
Oxo does a good peeler that ’ s sharp but get something comfortable . Mixing glasses – we use these to stir classic drinks like Martinis . You can actually use the glass insert from a cafétiere , but , most importantly . get something that ’ s around 600ml size .
A bar spoon is a long-handled spoon used with a mixing glass . Any long spoon will do but Cocktail Kingdom spoons are the best .
If you want to use fresh juice you need a Mexican elbow as it makes juicing limes and lemons much easier . Get one that can do both – Urban Bar does a good one . I would never go back to using a traditional lemon squeezer again . I used to have the chefs stealing my elbow at Hix all the time , and for good reason . Any good paring knife will work , but serrated is probably best to start with .
Dorset cocktail alumni Lloyd Brown and David Smith have just opened the Dark Bear bar in Bridport . Lloyd runs the Grey Bear Bar Company , – they cater for anything cocktail-related from one-on-one-classes to parties to weddings . David was part of the team at the Anchor Inn at Seatown , follow him on twitter : @ FuryMurry
Instant Expert
THE KIT Mix it up with these cocktail essentials
Vacu Vin Double Jigger RRP : £ 4.49 Harts Price : £ 3.59
Bar Craft Traditional Boston Cocktail Shaker
RRP : £ 14.99 Harts Price : £ 13.49
Bar Craft Stainless Steel Cocktail Strainer
RRP : £ 7.99 Harts Price : £ 7.19
LSA Mixologist Clear Cocktail Jug & Stirrer 1.6L
Harts Price : £ 40.00
Make sure you
Zyliss Easy Squeeze Citrus Press
Harts Price : £ 17.99
fill your glass
all the way to
LSA Mixologist Clear Cocktail Coupe Glass
320ml Set Of Two
Harts Price : £ 27.00
the top with
good quality ice
We Love Harts Perfect Portmeirion pots ! Excellent , as usual . Well packed , arrived very swiftly and I was kept informed along the way . Jackie Fisher , Bath
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