We love a good bar- the kind that makes you feel you could suavely concoct and shake any drink early Saturday evening and impress your friends. Inspiration for building your home bar doesn’t have to be the joint down the block but rather the lovely “honor bar” at the Whitby Hotel here in New York.

So what are the home bar essentials to shake a cocktail?

What we use the most: cobbler shaker, jigger/mini measuring cup, small citrus squeezer, fine mesh strainer, coupe glass, paring knife, and cutting board.

These are the seven essentials to mix, shake, and serve a drink.

1. Cobbler Cocktail Shakers

We have this basic cobbler shaker from Cocktail Kingdom at home. It’s not perfectly leakproof but we can vouch that we’ve made plenty of drinks using it and its lasted for a good long while! Made of stainless steel, 2-drink capacity.

Alternative 1: all-in-one shaker. Light-weight budget friendly cobbler shaker with a built-in strainer and a silicone seal for shaking. If you want to save money and little space, you can skip the jiggers below and just get this with the integrated one.

Alternative 2: all-in-one roomy shaker, also with a built-in measuring lid that allows you to make up to four drinks at one time and has a vacuum insulated tumbler which keeps the liquid ice cold but doesn’t freeze your hands. So again you can skip the jigger or measuring cup below.

2. Jigger or Mini Measuring Cup

If you want to get the industry standard and what pro bartenders like, check out this Japanese style jigger that has markings on the inside. You can flip from one side that holds 2 oz at its capacity to the other size that holds 1 oz at its capacity. We have this at home and use when entertaining.

This is so easy to use with its pour spout, transparency and easy-to-read measurement markings. We use this at home frequently.

3. Citrus Squeezer

More expensive than the one below, we’ve been using this citrus squeezer for several years and like the dual-gear mechanism for squeezing extra juice out of all those lemons & limes - can also use for a small orange. So we think it’s worth it!

Alternative: smaller & cheaper citrus press for squeezing lemons and limes.

4. Fine Mesh Strainer 

We like to double-strain our cocktails with this fine mesh strainer to get rid of any extra pulp or ice bits.

5. Coupe Glass

A simple coupe glass makes for a beautiful serve for entertaining. This is a set of four so you’re ready to entertain.

6. Paring Knife 

Easy to cut lemons and limes with this paring knife. Japanese stainless steel blade with nonstick coating, comes with a sheath/cover. We love this knife and have always had at least one on hand.

7. Cutting Board

Easy to wash, easy to use cutting board to prep your citrus.

Ready?! Now you’re set with the essential bar tools to make a shaken cocktail!