If you are dreaming of serving up some fanciful drinks to astound people, does the lack of proper equipment stops you from making it a reality? If you are leaning towards a ‘yes’, then you’re in the right hands. Here’s why you don’t need fancy bar equipment for your drinks.
Bartending
Bartending, is an industry that possesses boundless creativity, positivity, and intelligence. Digging deep into it, the bartending journey has been a long one, filled with many ups and downs. Just like any other profession, job, or career, it is not for everyone. Yet, there should be no reason why we can’t tap into undiscovered potential and passion, helping individuals to get a feel of it.
Would you love to give it a go?
Listen, we get it. It can be a dream to own a fancy bar shaking up all those drinks and bedazzling a crowd with gorgeous mocktail equipment, but not everyone owns a distillery and work as a bartender or mixologist for a living. That, however, doesn’t stop people from being their own mixologist at home, learning up and practicing new tricks to entertain their friends and family. And for some, it’s a matter of personal discovery in bartending and the love for learning about everything related to it, spirits, history, new trends, techniques, etc.
While it is true that the difference between an average mocktail and a remarkable mocktail can be determined by the way its prepared (through mocktail technique), not necessarily everyone has the means to spend their money on fancy barware—and even if they did, it probably isn’t wise to invest in something as such, especially if the mocktails are only made occasionally. And here’s where we want to tell you why you don’t need fancy bar equipment for your drinks.
Fancy Stuff. You want it. But you don’t need it.
Your bank account and wallet will thank you for practicing self-control. With all the fancy bar equipment you see whether it’s online or offline, they can be tempting, but here’s the fact: You want them. But you DON’T need them.
Fortunately for you, when the time comes and you have made up your mind to make mocktails for yourself or guests, be it on a weekly or yearly basis, you don’t have to make up a huge list of the barware pieces that you need. Some may say that the grass is greener on the other side, we say the grass had always been green on your side. You just have to look closer. Looking around your kitchen, you will find that a good number of your kitchen implements you already own can be substituted as barware pieces.
Solutions for the ones who are missing equipment pieces for Shaking & Mixing:
[1] Not owning a Jigger.
A jigger (also known as a double jigger) is a bar tool for measuring and pouring liquid. Commonly found in home bars and professional mixologists’ kits, standard jiggers feature two conjoining cups. One would be larger than the other with both connected on closed ends providing varied measurements. The larger cup called the Jigger Shot, holds up to one and a half ounces volume, while the smaller cup called the Pony Shot, holds only once ounce.
A huge emphasis is placed in always measuring one’s mocktail ingredients for consistency because even the smallest changes in the mocktail ingredient’s volume can make or break the final mocktail outcome. So, what do you do if you do not own a jigger? It’s simple, you just have to know that one ounce is two tablespoons. Keeping in that information in mind, you are pretty much set to know how to do the math for anything else.
[2] Not owning a Shaker.
There’s no need to fret and frown with your brows when a recipe calls for shaking but you don’t have a shaker. And absolutely do not throw in all your ingredients in a glass, add ice, and call it a day. There’s a reason why the recipe calls for the shaking as it properly incorporates ingredients of different viscosities and aerates the mocktail for a lovely frothy texture. It also provides a consistent chill and dilutes the mocktail to its proper drinking strength. Serving all your ingredients just over ice will eventually cause the drink to be further chilled and diluted as the ice melts. As such, its flavor and strength will vary leaving your mocktail without a proper texture.
No shaker? No problem. Just grab any strong container with a sealed lid. Personal favorites include a mason jar or even a spill-proof, to-go coffee mug—these two works beautifully as a beverage shaker substitute. Have your ingredients measured well into the container, then fill it with ice until three-quarters full. Screw on the lid and you’re all set to shake. Shake the mixture vigorously for 15 seconds for desirable results.
[3] Not owning a Strainer.
With plenty of mocktail recipes calling for straining, you still don’t have to worry when you don’t have a strainer. The purpose of using a strainer is to separate the drink from the ice you have used in the shaker or stirring glass so you can serve a chilled drink at its best state. If you took the advice in using the mason jar for shaking, you can use the flat part of its lid as a strainer. Remove the ring part and offset the flat jar lid so it functions as a strainer, letting the liquid flow through the crack as you pour while holding the ice cubes in their place. Though the final outcome of your mocktail will be a little less aerated, people will still enjoy it nonetheless as long as it tastes great.
There’s Double-Straining though...
Double straining, or also known as fine straining is an additional straining process used to filter out small fragments of fruit and fine flecks of ice that rise to the surface of the drink, causing it to lose its aesthetic edge. When a drink has ingredients like fruits or herbs mixed into it—its little pieces can escape into the drink through a regular strainer. That’s why the method of straining it for the second time happens.
To double strain a mocktail is to strain it through two strainers. The first time, you would pour it out of your shaker (or jar) via your regular mocktail strainer (or jar lid). The second time of straining, you would strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer that you are holding directly above your mocktail glass. Most bars use conical shaped strainers to direct the liquid flow straight into the mocktail glass. If you don’t own one for yourself, that’s fine too. You can always substitute in using a tea strainer or any other small fine mesh strainer—so long their diameter is smaller than the mocktail glass you’re using, they would work just fine.
Some interesting stuff.
Now that you know you don’t have to burn your wallet for fancy bar equipment, here’s some stuff that you may or may not already know:
[1] History of bartending
The first bartenders can be found in the ancient times when Greek and Roman roars relied on professional artisans to pour their favorite drinks. For decades and centuries, bartenders have continued to master their skills. By the 15th century, bartenders throughout Europe were known primarily as innkeepers, and these specialists usually produced their own spirits and ales.
[2] Why do we do a ‘toast’
Back in the olden days, the Ancient Romans would drop a piece of toast into their wine for good health and that’s how the phrase “to toast” came about.
[3] Tha age for bartending
The bartending age varies by state in the United States. Some states require the person to be 21, while others allow bartenders to start as young as 18.
The beauty of serving up impeccable drinks.
We think art and drinks come together hand in hand. The feeling that comes with serving a beautifully crafted mocktail in front of a guest or a crowd and watching their tantalized eyes widen in amazement is indescribable. Whether it is due to the captivating look of the drink from its color, glassware, and garnish… or your skills and technique in mixing and shaking, it has the ability to draw in an audience when there’s effort and passion in it. Aesthetics aside, the taste of your mocktails can evoke certain emotions in others.
So, what do you think? Are you up to creating experiences for people and giving them a momentary escape from reality with your shaking and mixing flair? Instead of giving you a list of fanciful mocktails, what we have here for you are some beverages you can try mixing and making in the comfort of your home. That’s right, you don’t have to own a personal bar at your place to make up this stuff. Feel free to check out our beverage section for more inspirations. We also have an article titled How to make a Layered Drink like a Pro that might pique your interest.
Stay with us for more.
At Rich Products Malaysia, we are always trying to bring something special to the table. There is always a continuous responsibility on our end to deliver satisfaction to our clients. So, keep your eyes wide open for updates from us on our offerings, recipes, and events—you will feel and taste the difference in your creations.
