Clinically Inane

I’ve found out doing Drinkables that not every one knows what muddler is or what the difference between a Collins and a highball glass is. I had always just assumed people had useful knowledge like this, but I guess not. So, this Drinkables covers basic bar tools and types or glasses. Hope you can learn something from it.

Collins glass is a tall and skinny glass. It is used for soft drinks, juices and many mixed drinks. This glass was named after the popular drink type of drink called Collins.

Highball glass is a little shorter and wider than the Collins Glass and used to make many mixed drinks.

Old Fashion or Rocks Glass is often used for drinks “on the rocks” (alcohol over ice) or “with a splash” (mixer withy alcohol).
Bucket glass is similar to the Old Fashion Glass, only larger, and often used for double portion drinks of drinks on the rocks or some cocktails.

A Martini glass or Cocktail glass is the classic V-shaped stemmed glass used mostly for drinks that are served with out ice or served after being stricken and strained over ice.

A Specialty glass, Coupette Glass, or margarita glass is a very wide and rather shallow cup with a stem. It primarily used for Margaritas and Daiquiris.

A Shot Glass is a small and thick glass. It is used for shots and can be used as a measuring tool.

Coffee mug is a coffee mug. You’ve probably used one with your morning coffee. It is used for serving hot drinks

A muddler is a thick wooden, stainless steel, or plastic stick, that is used to mash ingredients in the bottom of a glass before adding the liquids. It is often used to mix sugars, bitters, and to mash juices and oils from fruit and mint. Muddling is an essential step in making Old-fashioneds, Caipirinhas, and one of my favorite, Mojitos.

Jiggers are used to measure out alcohol and usually have two cones, one on either end. The larger cone typically holds 1 1/2 ounces and the smaller cone holds 3/4 or 1 ounce. The jigger helps ensure precise measuring of liquids and creating consistent cocktails.

Shakers are used to, well, shake drinks. I personally prefer the Boston style shaker, a glass and metal tumbler together, over the traditional style, a container with a lid and has built in strainer. The Boston style shaker can also be used to stir drinks instead of shaking them.

Swizzle sticks or bar spoons are used to mix drinks. Swizzle sticks are used to mix drinks and can be served in the drink as decoration, allowing the drink to mix the drink more. A bar spoon typically has a long shaft, a spiral handle (for easy twisting of the shaft) and a small spoon bowl with holes. Swizzle sticks or a bar spoon is essential for stirring.

Corkscrew is for opening bottles of wine, I prefer the style that also has a built in bottle opener.

A strainer is needed with a Boston style shaker to strain the ice out of drinks that are shaken or stirred with ice and served neat or over new ice, a strainer is needed to separate not only the ice, but any fruits, herbs or other solid ingredients from the liquid. I like what is called a Hawthorne Strainer. Hawthorne Strainer is a flat-topped, perforated metal device with a continuous coil of wire around the edge keep the strainer in place. The short handle and the tabs on it are designed to keep it in place and allow the bartender to use only one hand.

A blender is used for drinks like margaritas and daiquiris.

And thank you to Melissa over at Beepear for making the images for this post.

Drink responsibly and drink properly equipped.