Assembling the Basic Tools for Bartending The most important assets for any profession are the right tools. You need basic bar set to mix, serve, and store your food and drink. Whether you’re stocking a home bar or working as a professional, the following are your basic bartender tools: Wine and bottle openers The best wine opener is called a waiter’s wine opener, and it’s shown in Figure 1. It has a sharp blade, a corkscrew or worm, and a bottle opener. This wine opener can be found in most liquor stores or bar supply houses. Cocktail shaker and measuring glass There are two types of shakers, and both are shown in Figure 2. The Boston shaker is the one that most professional bartenders use. It consists of a mixing glass and stainless steel core that overlaps the glass. The Standard shaker usually consists of two or more stainless steel or glass parts and can be found in department stores or antique stores. Many of these shakers come in different shapes and designs. Strainer A couple of different types of strainers are available, but the most popular is the Hawthorn, shown in Figure 3. The Hawthorn is a flat, spoon-shaped utensil with a spring coil around its head. You can use it on top of a steel shaker or a bar glass to strain cocktails. Other tools Here are some additional tools that you may need. Many are shown in Figure 4. Bar spoon (1): A long spoon for stirring cocktails. Blender (2): There are many types of commercial or home blenders with various speeds. Always put liquid in first when making a drink. This will save your blade. Some blenders (but not all) can be used to make crushed ice. Check with the manufacturer or buy an ice crusher. Coasters or bar napkins: These prevent rings from developing on your bar and other tables. Napkins also help your guests hold their drinks. Ice bucket (3): Pick one that’s large enough to hold at least three trays of ice. Ice scoop or tongs (4): A must for every bar. Never use your hands to scoop ice. Jigger or measuring glass (5): A small glass or metal measuring container with usually a 1/2 oz. measurer on one side and a 2 oz. measurer on the other. Knife and cutting board (6): You need a small, sharp paring knife to cut fruit. Large water pitcher: Someone always wants water. Muddler (7): A small wooden bat or pestle used to crush fruit or herbs. Pourer (8): This device gives greater control to your pouring. A variety of different types is available, including some with a lidded spout, which prevents insects and undesirables from entering the pourer. Stirrers and straws: Used for stirring and sipping drinks. Large cups or bowls: Used to hold garnishes, such as cherries, olives, onions, and so on. Depending on your preferences, the corkscrew may be one of the most used tools in your kitchen. But while the helix-shaped opener is essential for oenophiles today, that wasn’t always the case. Read on to learn more about the twists this tool has taken in the past 300 years. The (Gun) Worm that Turns Corkscrews are key to many happy gatherings, but they’re modeled on a tool of war. Soldiers once used “gun worms,” metal claws mounted to the end of wooden ramrods, to clear bullets and wadding from the barrels of muskets that had failed to fire. The curled tip inspired the winding shape of a corkscrew, once known as a steel worm. Use either worm carelessly, and you could end up getting blasted. 5 Reasons to Invest in Promotional Drinkware Drinkware has always been one of the more interesting promotional products in the market. They are effective in boosting your brand’s awareness, carrying marketing messages, and are great gifts for your clients. If you’re looking to expand your marketing strategy, drinkware may be the product you are looking for. Here in Gogoprint, not only do we have a large selection of drinkwares, we also let you customize your drinkwares! Without further ado, here are the 5 benefits of marketing your company with promotional drinkware. Lets your brand be seen in every sip Do you offer a drink to guests that come over your house? If you do, then promotional matel cup & mug would get your brand out there to anyone who is enjoying the beverage you offered. Drinkwares are also so common that it can easily be seen anywhere, slap your logo on it and people can recognize your company upon seeing your brand more often than most. Spread your message Drinkware with logos or slogans can work as an effective marketing tool to get the message across. People are able to recall a message on a drinkware more so than some advertising mediums out there. For a simple product, drinkware definitely gets the job done. Cost-effective One of the great benefits of marketing drinkware is the cost-effectiveness. These promotional products are affordable and flexible enough to be integrated in any marketing projects. Since most people use drinkware in their everyday-life, this makes them perfect for marketing exposure. For those seeking nice plus affordable corporate gifts for your customers, promotional drinkware could be the ideal choice. Create business relationships Promotional drinkware is not just a simple marketing tool, it has been shown to build a long lasting memory with customers. You can say that promotional products work the same way as a business card. As we have mentioned, drinkware usage is high among people. Thus when potential customers or partners see your logo on their drinkwares, it can inspire them to reach out to you. Build the positive impression of your business Offering certain promotional items allows your client to get a positive impression of your brand. This applies to drinkwares as well. For example, if your business wants to be more luxurious, offering special premium giftsets drinkware such as Premium Stainless Thermal Bottle & Tumbler Gift Set or Classic Tumbler Gift Set can give your clients a good impression of the nature of your company. So not only is your marketing tool useful and practical, but it is also eco-friendly, a win-win! The Best Wine Stoppers, According to Sommeliers and Beverage Directors Just because wineglasses are bigger than ever before, doesn’t mean that you have to (or even want to) finish an entire bottle of wine in one sitting. Sometimes you want to savor a glass or two now and save the rest for later, especially if it’s a really nice wine. That’s why it’s good to have a wine stopper on hand, something that’ll keep wine fresh after opening. And though you might be picturing one of those decorative wine stoppers, like the one with a shamrock that you got at your cousin’s wedding, those are kind of useless when it comes to preventing wine from spoiling or spilling. That’s why, to help you find the best wine stoppers and vacuums, I reached out to sommeliers and beverage directors to learn about the gadgets they use to keep open bottles of wine fresh and Champagne still-bubbly when they can’t finish the whole bottle. How to Use a Foil Cutter Originally, a lead coating was applied to the tops of wine bottles to prevent rodents and insects from gnawing or boring through the corks. A knife was used to cut away the lead seal. Now, however, decorative foil is used to adorn the wine bottle neck since pests are not a major concern and lead is known to be toxic. A foil cutter makes it easy to remove the foil so that the bottle can be uncorked. A foil cutter is a small, circular plastic tool with cutting wheels inside that fits neatly over the top of the bottle. Wine Glass An especially important moment in glass production came in 1903. That year, a machine was developed in America that automated glass blowing. Items formerly mouth-blown and crafted by hand could be completely assembled by machine. The jump in production capability was remarkable. According to Aldo Sohm, sommelier and brand ambassador for Zalto in the United States, “It takes seven people seven minutes to produce one hand-blown Zalto wine glass.” By contrast, the new machinery allowed for several thousand stems to be produced in a single hour. The increased speed, and subsequent lower cost, were essential to democratizing stemware. And today, all but the very highest end wine glasses (such as Zalto, Sophienwald, and Riedel Sommelier Series) are produced using such mechanization. How to Use a Wine Decanter Wine is typically stored on its side. If there’s any chance you're going to open a wine bottle that has sediment in it, let the wine stand upright for 12–16 hours for the sediment to settle. Now it’s time to get the wine in the decanter. Depending on the type of wine you’re decanting, you have two routes to take when learning how to use a wine decante. Flagon A flagon is a large metal or ceramic pitcher for holding liquor, especially wine. It’s like a giant flask with a handle and spout that you put on the table so you can share the wine with old-timey friends. A flagon is usually used for alcohol — in particular wine, but sometimes beer. It’s an old fashioned word. A flagon might be set on a table in Colonial times, but feel free to use one now. A flagon full of wine should be enough for a group of friends at dinner — it's more than a bottle. The word flagon is related to flask, which is a smaller container for carrying alcohol.