Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Batch Cocktail Tools I Set Up Before Every House Party
25
items Forty-five minutes before guests ring the doorbell, you're still slicing limes and Googling ratios while the ice melts. If you host even twice a year and want to actually enjoy your own party, this is the lineup I built after too many nights stuck be...
Sections
5
Shakers and Mixing Gear That Handle Big Batches
Pitchers and Dispensers for Serving a Crowd
Ice Gear That Keeps Drinks Cold Without Watering Them Down
Garnish Prep and Cutting Tools
Glassware That Makes Cheap Cocktails Look Expensive
Shakers and Mixing Gear That Handle Big Batches
I used to shake four drinks at a time in a tiny tin and my arm was dead by drink twelve. These let me prep a full pitcher's worth before anyone shows up.
Grab this if you've been using a Mason jar and a slotted spoon. Comes with the strainer, jigger, muddler, everything. Had my whole bar setup running in ten minutes the first night.
FineDine 14 Piece Stainless Steel Bartender Drink Mixer Set
Keep this one out on the counter because it honestly looks like you spent way more than you did. Pours clean with no dripping, which matters when you're making eight margaritas on a white countertop.
Godinger Dublin Cocktail Shaker, Martini Shaker, 17oz Gold
Switch to this for stirred drinks like Negronis. Pouring from a shaker made them foamy and weird. Now they come out silky and cold, and guests always ask what changed.
Zulay Kitchen (24Oz) Stainless Steel Cocktail Shaker
Toss your old shot glass. This one has markings you can actually read from above, so you're not crouching down to check levels while fifteen people are waiting on drinks.
OXO, SteeL Angled Measuring Jigger, 2 OZ, Stainless Steel
Use the muddler for mojito batches. The old wooden one I had started flaking into drinks, which is exactly as gross as it sounds. Stainless steel fixed that permanently.
Stainless Steel Cocktail Muddler & Mixing Spoon Set
Pitchers and Dispensers for Serving a Crowd
Nobody wants to stand around watching you make drinks one at a time. Pre-batch in these and let people pour their own while you actually talk to your friends.
Set this up with a big batch of sangria and suddenly you're not a bartender anymore. The spigot doesn't drip, which I learned to appreciate after my old one leaked all over the tablecloth at Thanksgiving.
Estilo Glass Mason Jar Double Beverage Drink Container
Perfect for pre-mixed cocktails that need to chill in the fridge for a few hours. The seal actually works. Tipped it sideways once by accident and nothing spilled.
Bormioli Rocco Hermetic Seal Glass Pitcher With TEAL Lid
Bring this out for the non-alcoholic crowd or kids' lemonade. The lid locks so nobody knocks it over. Learned that lesson at a Fourth of July party two years ago.
Rubbermaid Plastic Pitcher, Clear/Red, 2 Quart
Pair this with your clear cocktails like gin and tonics or palomas. The glass is heavier than it looks, so it doesn't slide around when people bump the table. Holds about six servings comfortably.
Libbey Impressions Pitcher, 80.1-ounce
Snag a couple of these if you're doing two batch options. They're slim enough to fit side by side in the fridge, which is a bigger deal than you think when you're also storing food for the party.
Arrow Home 1.25 Gallon Slimline Beverage Container
Ice Gear That Keeps Drinks Cold Without Watering Them Down
Regular ice cubes melt in about four minutes and turn your carefully measured old fashioned into brown water. Took me three ruined batches to figure out bigger ice was the answer.
Try these for whiskey-forward drinks. They melt so slowly that the last sip tastes the same as the first. Guests always pick them up and hold them to the light like they're diamonds.
Suidhome Whiskey Ice Cube Tray, Ice Ball Maker Mold
Get these for your everyday cubes. They pop out without the violent twisting that cracks regular trays. Soft silicone, so you just push from the bottom and they slide right out.
TINANA Ice Cube Tray with Lid: 3 Pack Large Silicone
Use the big squares for punch bowls and pitchers. They keep a two-quart batch cold for over an hour without diluting it. Night and day compared to normal cubes from the freezer door.
TINANA, Ice Cube Tray, 2 Inch Square
Toss this under your ice bucket to keep everything frozen longer. Before I had this, my ice was half melted by the time the second guest walked in.
Pelican Cooler 5lb Ice Pack White PI-5LB-BLU
Swap out that old plastic bucket. This double-walled one kept ice solid for my entire four-hour New Year's party. No puddle on the table, no refills, just cold drinks all night.
Oggi Insulated Ice Bucket, 4 Quart / 3.8 L
Garnish Prep and Cutting Tools
Slicing limes at the last minute with a dull knife while your doorbell rings is a specific kind of stress. These let me prep garnishes an hour early and keep them looking fresh.
Grab this for batch margaritas or daiquiris. Squeezing twelve limes by hand left my forearms sore for two days. This thing gets every drop out with one press and catches the seeds.
Zulay Kitchen 2-in-1 Manual Lemon Squeezer
Keep your olives, cherries, and citrus wedges organized instead of scattered across the counter in random bowls. Has a lid so everything stays fresh if you prep early. Looks way more put together too.
Bar Garnish
Use this specifically for citrus peels and thin slices. My regular kitchen knife was too big and I kept cutting uneven wheels. This one is scary sharp and costs less than two cocktails at a bar.
Customer reviews for Victorinox Swiss Classic Paring Knife
Drag this across an orange for old fashioneds and the oils spray everywhere. The smell alone makes people think you know what you're doing. Way easier than trying to peel a twist with a knife.
OXO Softworks Stainless Steel Etched Zester
Prep all your herbs and citrus slices in the morning, toss them in here, and they still look perfect at 8 PM. Mint especially. Without this it wilts in about twenty minutes on the counter.
Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce Saver
Glassware That Makes Cheap Cocktails Look Expensive
Serving a well-made drink in a red Solo cup undoes all your work. Picked up these sets over the past year and now even a simple rum and coke gets compliments.
Start here if you have nothing. Twelve glasses for the price of dinner out. Heavy enough to feel substantial but not so thick that they're clunky. Survived my dishwasher for six months straight.
Libbey Province 16 Piece Tumbler and Rocks Glass Set
Bring these out for anything served up. The stems are thin and the bowls are wide, so a simple cosmo suddenly looks like it belongs in a cocktail bar. Worth every penny for the reaction alone.
Riedel Vinum Martini Glasses, Set of 2
Swap these in for champagne flutes at your next party. Coupes hold spritzes and French 75s perfectly, and they're way more fun to clink. Four in the set, which is the right number for a dinner party.
Libbey Signature Stratford Coupe Cocktail Glasses Set of 4
Use these for casual summer parties. Fill them with a batch cocktail, add a paper straw, and people lose their minds. They're also nearly indestructible, so you stop wincing every time someone sets a glass near the table edge.
Ball, Mason Jars, 16 oz, Regular Mouth Pint with Lids
Perfect for anyone who mostly makes gin and tonics or mojitos. The shape keeps the fizz alive longer and they're tall enough that you can load up on ice without the drink overflowing.
JoyJolt Aqua Vitae Triangle Whiskey Glasses, Set of 2 Off