Finally, the bar cart is stocked and ready to go.But before you start shaking that ice, make sure your home bar has the tools you need.Here’s a great list that covers the basics and beyond for every level of home mixologist.

Your home bar may be wildly different than someone else’s, because it’s all about personal taste and cocktail preference.But when it comes to the hardware, well, a fully-stocked bar is only a bunch of bottles without the proper tools for mixing that drink.Here’s what you should get, starting with a basic bar toolset, and moving on to the fancier stuff for specialty cocktails.

Pick and choose what you need, based on your home’s favorite drink menu.Shakers and strainers: Cobbler shaker: A good cocktail shaker is important if you like any ice-cold cocktails served up in a glass, like Gimlets or Hemingway Daquiris.This version is common with home cooks because it has a mixing cup and built-in strainer on top (and a cap to seal it all in).

Boston shaker: The choice of professional bartenders everywhere, this is simply two metal cups that fit inside each other, forming a seal that’s easy to open after shaking.Julep strainer: A strainer designed for Mint Juleps to keep the ice from falling in the face of its consumers.It works well for stirred cocktails such as Whiskey Sours and fits nicely over any mixing glass.

Hawthorne strainer: Once you shake, then you strain.The springy coil does double duty here, straining out bits of ice and fr

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