List of Small Tools and Equipments Used in Hotel BAR
All small bar tools and equipments are usually made of stainless steel as it looks good, is long-lasting, durable and can be cleaned easily. Small bar tools and equipments are used for mixing and pouring, preparing condiments to garnish drinks, and for serving.
The indispensable tools used by the Bartenders for mixing and pouring by hand include:
Jiggers: A jigger is a measure of ounces or fractions of ounces. It is used to measure liquors for cocktails, highballs and other mixed drinks.
Mixing glass: It is a heavy glass container having a capacity of 16 to 17 ounces, in which drink ingredients are stirred together with ice. It is used to make Martinis and Manhattans and other drinks whose ingredients blend together readily. It is rinsed after each use. Mixing glasses should be heat-treated and chip-proof.
Hand shaker: It is a combination of a mixing glass and a stainless-steel container that fits on top, on an angle so that one edge is flush with the side of the glass. It is also called as Boston's Shaker. Usually, it has its own strainer. The stainless steel container is known by varied names like mixing cup, mixing steel, mix can etc. It is used for shaking drink ingredients with ice and is used in making of cocktails with fruit juices, egg, sugar, cream, or any other ingredient that does not mix readily with spirits. It is rinsed after each use.
Shake mixer: it is an automatic alternative of a hand shaker and is faster and more efficient. it can even make ice-cream drinks, which the hand shakers can't do. The mixing container of the shake mixer is also called a mixing cup, steel, or can.
Bar strainer: It is a round wire spring on a handle. It comes with ears that fit over the rim of a shaker or mixing glass and keeps ice and fruit pulp from going into the glass when the drink is poured. The most famous one is the Hawthorn Strainer.
Bar Spoon: It is a stainless steel shallow spoon with a long handle and a bead on the end. It is 10 to 11 inches long. The bowl equals a teaspoon. Bar-spoons are used for stirring drinks in a drink glass or mixing glass or cup.
Ice Scoop: It is an implement for scooping ice from the ice bin. It has a capacity of 6 to 8 ounces. It makes easy to get the right amount of ice with one swoop of the scoop. Glasses should not be used for scooping ice.
Ice Tongs: They are designed to handle one cube of ice at a time. They serve an important function of hygiene, as hands should never touch the ice a that goes into a drink.
Muddler or Muddling stick: It is a wooden tool that looks like a little baseball bat. One end is flat for crushing one substance into another. For instance: sugar crushed into bitters in an Old-Fashioned. The other end is pounded and can be used to crack ice.
Funnels: They are needed in several sizes for pouring from large containers into small ones. For instance: transferring special mixes from bulk containers into plastic bottles for bar use. Some funnels have a screen at the wide end to strain out pips and pulp.
Fruit Squeezer or Citrus Squeezer: A bar-type fruit squeezer is a hand-size gadget that squeezes half a lemon or lime for a single drink, straining out pits and pulp.
Glass Rimmer: It is a gadget used to rim a glass with salt or sugar, It is made up of three trays. One contains a sponge that is saturated with lemon or lime Juice, the second contains a layer of salt, and the third a layer of sugar. The glass rim is pressed on the sponge, and then dipped in salt (for a Margarita or a Salty Dog) or sugar (for a Side Car).
Cutting Board: It is a small board having surface that will not dull the knife. Rubber or plastic is the material to prefer. Wood is the best surface to work on. But it is a health hazard.
Bar Knife: It is any small to medium-size stainless steel knife such as a Paring or utility knife. The blade should be kept sharp, as it is safer than a blunt knife and the handles should be made of heavy-duty rubber or plastic for sanitary reasons. This sturdy bar garnish knife is perfect for slicing lemons, limes, or any other garnish that you might want for a drink. For added convenience, the pronged tip makes it easy to get olives or cherries out of the jar without using your fingers, and the comfortable wooden handle provides a sure-handed grip for effortless cutting.
Relish Fork: It is a long (10-inch), thin, two-tined stainless-steel fork designed for reaching into narrow-necked bottles for onions and olives. Usually, it has a spring device that helps to secure the olive or onion firmly.
Zester, Router and Stripper: Zester or router are special cutting tools which peel away the yellow part of the lemon skin without including the white under skin. A stripper is similar but cuts a broader, shallower swath.
Bottle and Can Openers: Bottle or can openers should be made of stainless steel, as it is rust-free and can be easily cleaned.
Corkscrews: There are many different kinds of corkscrews available to extract corks from wine bottles. The screw or worm should be i/2 inches long and about 3/8 inch in diameter with a hollow core in the middle. A solid core chews up the cork. There should be enough spirals to extract the cork smoothly and the edges should be rounded, not sharp.
Beverage trays: Round beverage trays usually of 14-inch and 16-inch are used in bar operations. They should have a cork surface to keep the glasses from slipping.
Bill Folder/Folio Folder: It is used to present a check to the customer.