How to Build the Ultimate Home Bar in San Diego

I peel myself off my couch, crack my back, and force myself to the bar (23 years old, by the way). It’s a Friday night, and my smart watch is already informing me my body battery is critically low.

Nevertheless, party we must.

Because, to be fair, one of the best things about going out—dive bar, velvet-clad cocktail lounge, or anywhere in between—is the performance of it all. Watching a bartender shake and stir like it’s choreography, finishing the drink with a sprig or petal placed just so, feeling like your collection of mixers and spirits is worth pouring into the Holy Grail.

One of the worst things about going out, though? Being out.

So I thank God for the home bar.

No lines, no cover, no shouting your order over someone named Kyle who just discovered the AMF. No $19 cocktails that taste suspiciously like juice. Just me, my apartment (where I can play whatever music I want), and the quiet confidence of knowing I can make something decent without putting on real pants.

A home bar, I’ve learned, doesn’t have to be impressive. It just has to be intentional—a few bottles you actually like, some tried-and-true tools, and at least one drink you can make without Googling. That’s it. That’s the barrier to entry.

To create the ultimate home bar collection, we tapped the folks at San Diego cocktail supply shop Collins & Coupe to give us some of their recommendations. Pick and choose what you need, and start cocktailing.

The Must-Haves

Shaker Tin

You won’t get very far in your cocktail-making-journey without shaker tins. Boston shakers (two pieces, tin-on-tin) and cobbler shakers (three pieces with a strainer and cap) are the most classic styles, but if you want to avoid the tins getting stuck (or creating a mess on the floor), Boston shakers are the way to go.

Essential: 28-ounce Koriko Weighted Boston Shaker Tin

“Koriko Tins by Cocktail Kingdom are the gold standard for every bar worth their salt. Every new bar we help outfit with tools insists on this brand and model,” says Collins & Coupe co-owner Gary McIntire.

Splurge: Sertodo Solid Copper Boston Shaker Tin Set

“These are handmade, 100 percent solid copper and will last a lifetime,” McIntire says. “Because they are solid, there is no plated finish to wear off, and they will only look more beautiful with age.”

Bar Spoon

According to the pros, don’t even bother getting bar spoons shorter than 12 inches. One foot long is the magic length to get the best stirring results: “Rule of thumb is at least 50 percent of the spoon should be out of the glass,” says McIntire.

Essential: 12-inch Stainless Steel Bar Spoon

Splurge:

Sugar Skull Bar Spoon
Cocktail Kingdom Enamel Lucky Cat Bar Spoon

Strainer

Pulp in your orange juice? We’ll allow it. But in your cocktail? Smooth and strained is optimal. You have two choices here: Hawthorne strainers have a spring that attaches snugly to shaking tins; julep strainers have no tabs or springs (originally created to drink mint juleps before straws became commercially available).

Style Choice:

Bull in China Julep Strainer, Brushed Stainless Steel
Barfly Two-prong Heavy Duty Hawthorne Strainer

Jigger

We’ve all seen those seasoned bartenders with the arm tats and haughty demeanors who can assemble perfect drinks with their eyes shut. The rest of us, however, need training wheels. Jiggers—those hourglass-shaped measuring tools—make consistent cocktail-making easy, although cheap versions tend to be inaccurate. Don’t skimp out on these.

Essential: Superfly Jigger

“Heavy-duty and made of one piece,” McIntire says. “We use [this jigger] in our classes and at home. It comes in a bell-shaped version and a Japanese version, which is tall and narrow.”

Splurge: Bull in China Japanese Jigger, Mother of Pearl

Glassware

“Glassware is always essential to the cocktail experience,” says McIntire. The martini glass is an avatar for American hair-loosening for a reason: sleek, viciously “V,” and highly spillable (danger always looks good). To start, look for a coupe glass (the fancy cat bowl-looking thing), a highball (glassware with posture), and a rocks glass (the blue collar hero).

Style Choice:

Milo Crystal Rocks Glass by Viski
Savage Coupe by Nude Glassware
Meridian Highball with Gold Rim by Viski

The Next Level

Mesh Strainer

You know how Caesar dressing tastes way better when you don’t think about the fact that there are anchovies in it? The same goes for cocktails and raw egg whites. Some of your favorites rely on the frothy ingredient to shine (whiskey sours, gin fizzes, etc.). Mesh strainers help make that magic happen. According to McIntire, always get the conical version; the round, bowl style could cause spills.

Essential: Coco Conical Fine Mesh Strainer by Cocktail Kingdom

Splurge: Fine Mesh 2 Prong Hawthorne Strainer, Stainless Steel

Muddlers

It might feel cathartic to ruthlessly muddle mint or berries at the bottom of your glass, but less is more for cocktails. “No need to tear the fruit or herbs apart,” McIntire says, “just bruise them so they can give off their flavor without making lots of little bits to pick out of your mouth.”

Essential: Biggie Muddler

“We like the ease of use and cleaning of this muddler, made of a composite material that is dishwasher safe,” says McIntire.

Splurge: Black Walnut Hand-Carved Muddler

Aromatic/Citrus Bitters

“Every good bar needs an aromatic bitters,” McIntire says. “When you read an old bar book that just calls for ‘bitters,’ they mean Angostura Bitters (It’s got its own fun history that describes the oversized label)” Round out your bitter quiver with Strongwater, Bitter Queens, and Boy Drinks World offerings.

Style Choice:

Angostura Aromatic Bitters
Strongwater Aromatic Golden Bitters
Bitter Queens Orange Chamomile Bitters
Boy Drinks World Serrano Cocktail Spice (SD-based brand)

Peeler

Oftentimes, garnishes feel like an obstacle in the way of you and your libation. But a perfectly peeled orange twist adds both flavor and vibes to the party. Y-shaped peelers simplify the process and reduce the risk of accidental injury with your kitchen knives.

Essential: Piranha Peeler

“It’s not that cute, but there’s none better,” says McIntire.

The Pro Leagues

Ice

Behind every great cocktail is great ice, believe it or not. Old ice cubes from the back of your freezer will only make your drink taste like frozen tilapia. Not to mention clear ice melts a lot slower than cloudy ice, meaning less dilution and more flavor. If you want to get super fancy, get yourself a solid-brass ice stamp or Japanese ice knife to carve your own shapes (obviously idiot discretion advised).

Style Choice:

Custom Ice Stamp
Japanese Ice Knife

Bar Cart

Splurge: Duke Bar Cart

“While there are certainly more affordable bar carts on the market, the art deco design of the Duke Bar Cart by Ralph Lauren is absolutely stunning,” says McIntire. “And [with a price tag over $19,000], talk about a splurge.”

Cocktail Smoker

Drinks and a show! Having a cocktail smoker is the final boss of home bartending, and it’s sure to provoke ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from your guests without needing to put in much effort. Plus, it makes your whiskey taste like a campfire in a confusingly good way. McIntire suggests experimenting with different types of wood to add a range of smoky flavors.

Essential: Smoker Top Wooden Cocktail Smoker

Splurge: Cold Smoke System Smoking Gun

McIntire’s Favorite Locally-Made Cocktail Ingredients

• Curious Juniper, a woman-owned craft simple syrup company
• Cool Hand Co, San Diego’s first shrub company celebrating ingredients from local farms
• Cordial Craft, a sugar-free cocktail cordial
• Drømme, a zero-proof spirit
• Dropkick, a coffee roaster that makes an espresso concentrate (great for espresso martinis)

The post How to Build the Ultimate Home Bar in San Diego appeared first on San Diego Magazine.