Have you started a new hobby and you weren’t quite sure which tools and supplies you really needed?  You go to the store all pumped up about your new endeavor, but you are not quite sure what to things are a necessity and which things are just fluff?  This post is for you.  Maybe you want to stock your new bar or you are already thinking ahead to Father’s Day gifts? We are going to share with you our top tools and supplies that we can’t entertain without.

8.  Wine Corker

Although we don’t focus on wine on The Blind Pig Blog, we do drink wine occasionally and especially serve wine when we entertain.  It is worth it to invest in a good sturdy wine corker.  We like this one because it feels sturdy in our hands and is good quality.  You don’t want a corker that will break off cork into a guests wine!  We also like this one because it is easy to store and does not take up a lot of space in our bar area.

7. Strainer

We don’t use a strainer often, there are definite recipes that require a strainer.  It is handy to have one around for recipes like The Cucumber Gin Spritz.

6.  Muddler

How can you make a Zaya Rum Mojito without a good muddler? This tool may not be used everytime we serve drinks, but it is nice to have one on hand for those special cocktails.  We bought a wooden one similar to this one at Target.

5.  A Variety of Glassware

“Glassware is to a drink as shoes are to a woman’s outfit,” says Rhonda. “A woman can have the cutest outfit, but wear the wrong shoes with it and it just doesn’t work.”  It’s true with cocktails and glassware.  Drinking a spritz? You need a tall skinny glass.  Drinking a hurricane?  You need a big hefty schooner.  Margaritas taste best in a margarita glass.  You get the point?  Your drinks look and taste much better when paired with the correct glassware.

4.  Jigger

Our jigger is one of our most used bar tools.  We use it to measure ounces for all of our favorite recipes and couldn’t do without it.

3.  Fun straws and napkins

Okay, Rhonda slipped this one in.  It’s kind of like her shoe analogy above.  Rhonda thinks everything tastes better with a straw, and to save the environment it tastes better with a cute paper straw.  Colorful napkins with funny sayings make entertaining more fun, too.  Rhonda usually picks these up when she finds them at Home Goods or in the dollar section at Target.  We keep them on hand in our pantry for last minute get-togethers.

2. Lemon/Lime Squeezer

We use our lemon/lime squeezer constantly.  Almost every cocktail we make needs a squeeze of this or a squeeze of that.  In order to make the freshest cocktails we can, we have to have a squeezer. We bought this one years ago from Pampered Chef.  This one has been well worn, but we love this sturdy and durable tool. Skinny Agave Margaritas would not be the same without the squeezer.

1. Cocktail Shaker

Where would we be without the shaker?  This tool is our most used and favorite bar tool.  Rhonda bought Craig a larger shaker a few years ago for Christmas, but we still gravitate to this one.  It is just the right size to shake a cocktail or two.  It fits nicely in our hands and in the dishwasher.

What is your favorite bar tool or supply?  What did we leave off of our list that you just can’t live without?  We would love to hear about it.