The perfect holiday gifts for cocktail lovers
The best holiday gifts are the gifts that keep on giving. If you want the perfect gift for a friend or loved one who loves cocktails as much as you, give them this craft cocktail gift set. Its two gifts in one: they’ll love you for it and you stand a good chance of having them make you cocktails for the next year.
These indispensable happy hour implements were selected by a guy who knows his way around a bar: Scranton Twohey, the owner of the east side cocktail mecca, Whisler’s. Twohey claims these five necessities for the home bar will only set you back about $75 for the whole shebang and all of them are available at cocktailkingdom.com.
Spirits driven drinks should be stirred, not shaken. This spoon has a classic look and the spiraled neck makes it easy to grip. The Hoffman is available in silver, copper & even gold plated. $19.95
Big ice cubes have less surface area and melt slower than small cubes, so your drink doesn’t get watered down. Spherical cubes might be fun, but when two-inch ice cubes are all you need. $6.95
Muddlers are vital for crushing herbs like mint to make mojitos and mint juleps. When shopping for a muddler make sure it’s long enough to reach to the bottom of your tallest glass. $10.95
Just like with baking, creating the perfect cocktail requires precise measurement. Besides the unique vintage design, this jigger has measurements marked on the inside for more accurate pouring. Measurements include 1oz, 1/2oz, 3/4 oz, 1 12 oz and 2 oz. $18.95
Shakers are a must have for any home bar. With a great stainless steel style, these tins also seal together well, so there are no leaks when making cocktails $16.90
If you would rather buy your tools in person, Twohey also recommends local stores Serve Gourmet, Metier Cooks Supply and Breed & Co for finding bar essentials.
If you need a demonstration first, you can always see these bar tools in action at Whisler’s. Try the Fall/Winter menu featuring 12 new cocktails like:
Eastside Queen
- 1.5 oz Vodka
- .75 oz Cranberry-Rosemary Syrup
- .75 oz Lemon
Shaken and served up in a chilled coupe. Garnish with rosemary sprig.
I Yam What I Yam
- 1.5 oz Butter-Infused Rum
- .5 oz Milletti Amaro
- 1 oz Sweet Potato Shrub
- 2 dashes of walnut bitters & 1 dash bitters
Shaken and strained over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with toasted marshmallow.
