Module 2

Bar Tools, Equipment and Glassware

At the end of this module you are expected to:

1. Identify the equipment for mixing and washing;

2. Identify bar tools and small equipment for mixing, garnishing and serving;
and
3. Known the glassware types and kinds.

Under Bar and Back Bar Equipment

I. Equipment for Mixing Drinks
A. Ice Chest – it is a container for ice. It usually has both cube and crushed
ice.

B. Ice Maker – is a reliable machine that produces ice in no time.

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C. Container for Bottles

1. Bottle Wells – it is adjacent to the ice chest and are chilled by the ice.
They are used for juices, prepared mixes, milk, and cream.

2. Speed Rails – contains the most frequently poured liquors such as

scotch, bourbon, or blended whiskey, gin, vodka, rum, brandy in
Wisconsin, tequila in the southwest.

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D. Handgun or Soda Gun – this “gun” can dispense carbonated and non-
carbonated drinks that usually have a combination of water, carbon dioxide
and syrup directly into the glass with a push of a button. It is best for drinks
that require to be topped with another beverage such as juices, soda and
water. Soda guns can vary on the number of buttons they have, more
buttons mean more beverages available.

E. Mixer

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1. Shake Mixer – has a shaft coming down from the top that agitates the
contents of its cup. It is used for cocktails made with fruit juices, egg,
sugar, cream, or any ingredient that does not blend readily with spirits.

2. Blender – it incorporates better all the ingredients into one drink

especially drinks that have ice.

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 F. Glass Chiller – a top opening freezer that chills glasses at temperature
around 0°F.

II. Equipment for Washing

A. Three or Four Compartment Sink
1 – for washing
2 – for rinsing
3 – for sanitizing (killing bacteria with chemical solution)
4 – used for waste dump by placing netting in the bottom to catch debris or
as a
hand sink.

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B. Drain Boards – sinks with drain boards are usually a single piece of
equipment placed near a bartender station or between two stations used for
air-drying of bar tools.

C. Glass Washer – The glass washer is an electrical equipment that has

multiple brush heads or bristles that are submerged in water and rotate
when turned on. The bristles ensure that even the toughest stains on the
glasses would be removed and reach the bottom of the glass.

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 D. Hand Sink – used mainly for hand washing.

Bar Tools and Small Equipment

I. Small Wares for Mixing and Pouring

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A. Jigger – are the small hourglass-like devices made from stainless steel that
are used for measuring purposes in mixology. The standard jigger
measures 1 ounce on one side and 2 ounces on the other. There are many
types of jiggers that come in different shapes and sizes.

B. Shot Glass - is a tiny glass that serves as a vessel for spirits that are meant
to be consumed in a single gulp or shot. While it is mainly a serving glass,
some bartenders also use it as a measuring tool. There is no standard
measurement of the typical shot glass but some may range from 1 - 1.5
ounces. There are also different types of shot glasses, each with different
measurements of their own.

C. Pourer/ Pour Spout – These are normally attached to bottles of liquors,

syrup or juices that provide support for pouring and enables you to control
how much you’re putting in the glass and it avoids spillage and wastage.

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 Using measured pourers allows you to control and manage liquor inventory.
Pourers aid in consistent and even shots of liquor and mixes.

D. Mixing Glass – a glass that is usually patterned and sturdy and has a spout
that allows better pouring of drinks and prevents spilling them. It is used as
a vessel when you’re muddling ingredients and mixing in some liquor or
spirits.

E. Hand Shaker – is a combination of a mixing glass and a stainless steel

container (called the shaker cup) that fits on top of it, in which drink
ingredients are shaken together with ice. It is used for cocktails made with
fruit juices, egg, sugar, cream, or any other ingredient that does not mix
readily with spirits. After vigorously shaking and mixing the drink, shakers
allow for easy pouring into the customer glass. Many varieties of shakers
come with built-in strainers to separate the ice or other ingredients

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F. Cocktail Strainer – Most cocktail shakers don’t have built-in strainers and
there is a need for separate strainers. The strainer is placed over the mouth
of the shaker, with the small holes letting the drink pass through, leaving the
ice in the shaker. Strainers are basically used to pour over the drinks into
the glass to catch any unwanted particles such as pulps or tiny pieces of
ice. It ensures that your cocktail is smooth all the time.

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G. Bar Spoon – Stirring is one way to mix a cocktail, such as a gin or whiskey
cocktail, gently mixing the distilled spirit to maintain a balance of flavor. Bar
spoons are what to use to stir drinks. They are like spoons but have longer
and slimmer bodies and the end has a variety of styles. The bowl of the
spoon usually equals one teaspoon.

H. Ice Scoop – an implement for scooping up ice from the ice bin. It has 6-8
ounces capacity. Never scoop with a glass.

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I. Ice Tong – are designed to handle one cube of ice at a time. The hands
should never touch the ice.

J. Muddler – Some drinks are better off with fresh ingredients and you extract
the flavors and aroma of mint leaves or citrus with a muddler. These look
like pestles and are intended for mashing. They vary in material such as
wood, plastic or stainless steel. Some also have a rounded tip while others
have ridges or teeth that better extraction.

K. Fruit Squeezer/ Juicer – Using this allows efficiency and cleanliness that
extracts citrus juices to the last drop discarding the pits and pulp.

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 L. Funnel – is a cone-shaped tool with a narrow stem at the tip of the cone that
is used for channeling liquids like syrup into bottles. They can be of plastic
or stainless steel and prevent you from creating a mess when transferring
liquids.

II. Tools and Equipment for Garnishing

A. Cutting Board – A durable board that is made of either wood or plastic, used
as a surface to cut fruits on. Not only do cutting boards provide a hygienic
and safe surface for cutting, they also help protect the bar top and keep
knives sharp. Choose boards that are sturdy, durable, and non-slip.

B. Bar Knife – A small knife with a short blade that is used to cut fruits for
garnishes.

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C. Relish Fork – is a long (10 inches), thin, two-tined, stainless steel fork
designed for reaching into narrow neck bottles for onions and olives.

D. Zester – A tool used for extracting the zest of citrus fruit as tiny bits for
aroma, flavor or garnish. It is also helpful when grating spices like nutmeg
or cinnamon. There is a variant called the channel zester which is used to
zest twisty peels of fruits.

E. Bar Caddy - When a drink is ready to be served, it usually comes with a

napkin and sometimes a straw or a stirrer. A caddy is a container for
napkins, straws, and stirrers keeping them organized and accessible.

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F. Ice bucket with Tong - Ice is crucial in drinks because they provide the
refreshing factor and to keep everything clean and safe, you use an ice
scoop or tongs to pick up ice from the bucket and transfer them to the glass
or shaker.

G. Bucket Stand/Wine Cooler – keep wine and champagne bottles well chilled.

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 H. Garnish Tray - Garnish centers, or otherwise known as condiment holders
are a great way to set up the bars service area to be efficient, sanitary and
organized. They may hold from 4 to 6 types of garnish containers and have
built in ice compartment to aid in keeping garnishes cool throughout the bar
shift. They also come with lids to protect the garnishes from contamination.
They are ideal to hold commonly used drink garnishes such as lemons,
limes, cherries and olives.

I. Glass Rimmer - They are multiple shallow plates that have the ideal glass
size and allows you to have rimming ingredients ready beforehand.
Common rims include salt and sugar and with the rimmer, it saves time to
get a plate out and lay out sugar or salt every time someone orders a
margarita.

III. Tools and Equipment used in Serving

A. Speed Bottle Openers – A flat stainless steel tool with two holes on each
end that is intended for opening beer bottles and allowing the bartender to
perform tricks and showcase his skills. It is small enough to be put in your
pocket or even on a belt magnet.

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B. Wine Key/ Jack Knife – This is a three-in-one tool based from a German
innovation in the 1880s that consists of a knife to cut the foil of a wine bottle,
a corkscrew to remove the cork from the bottle and a bottle opener to open
some beer or carbonated drinks. It is preferred by sommeliers because it is
easy to use, convenient and effective.

C. Round Serving Trays – it could either be 10 inches or 14inches. They

should have cork surfaces or rubberized to keep the glasses from slipping.

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 D. Tip Tray – is used to present the check, return the change or credit card,
and remind the customer to leave a tip.

Glassware
Glasses usually have three parts: Bowl, Base or Foot, and Stem.

I. Glass Terms and Types

A. Tumbler – it is a flat-bottomed glass that is basically a bowl without a stem
or foot. Its sides may be straight, flared, or curved. Various sizes and
shapes of tumblers are known by the names of the drinks they are
commonly used for.

Bowl

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B. Footed Ware – refers to a style of glass in which the bowl sits directly on a
base or foot. Bowl and base may have variety of shapes. Any type of drink
may be served in a footed glass of the right size.

Bowl

Foot

C. Stemmed Ware – includes any glass having all three features – bowl, stem,
and foot. Wine is always served in a stemmed glass, as is straight up
cocktail or a straight liqueur. Stemware is the most easily broken glass type.

Bowl

Stem

Foot

D. Mug – a tumbler with a handle or a tall glass cup. It is usually used to serve
beer.

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 Bowl
Handle

II. Kinds of Glasses

A. Rocks – A short glass with various designs that can contain 6-10 oz. of liquid
and measures 3.5 in. in height and about 3 in. in diameter. It is also called
old-fashioned glass or lowball glass and is typically used to serve whiskey
or scotch with ice.

B. Highball – A tall glass that can store 8-12 oz. of liquid and measures about
7 cm x 15 cm. It is used to serve mixed drinks like tequila sunrise and long
island iced tea.

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C. Collins - Similar to the highball only taller and slimmer at 6 cm x 17 cm and
can contain 10-14 oz. of liquid. It is also used for mixed drinks such as the
Tom Collins.

D. Margarita - This glass looks like a Champagne saucer but it has curves
between the mouth and the stem. It is used to serve margaritas and even
shrimp cocktails.

E. Martini - this glass has a triangular bowl or is cone shaped. It is used for
martinis and is served with an olive on a toothpick.

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F. Shot Glass - a tiny glass designed to allow the drinker to consume the drink
in one gulp, called the “shot”. It can hold 25-50 ml of liquid and has several
varieties like the shooter. It can also double as a jigger.

G. Brandy Glasses – they are balloon shaped with a short stem. It is shaped
as such so that the palm of your hand would heat the brandy and can
appreciate the aroma.
Brandy Snifter – 3 to 5 oz
Brandy Inhaler – 14 oz
Brandy Balloon – 34 oz

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H. Wine Glasses – each establishment may have different designs. The
difference between the red and white wine glass is that the red has a wider
mouth so that the wine can breathe while the white one has smaller mouth
so as to keep it chilled.

I. Sparkling Wine Glasses/ Champagne Glasses – sizes may range from 4 ½

to 6 oz. Kinds: Saucer/ Coupe, Flute, Tulip, Flared

J. Irish Coffee Glass – used for Irish coffee and other coffee drinks.

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 K. Poco Grande – used for cocktails specifically Piñacolada.

Guide Questions

Answer the following to check what you have learned from the discussion
so far. Check your answers from the provided answers at the end of this unit.

1. What are the equipment for mixing and washing;

2. What are bar tools and small equipment for mixing, garnishing and serving;
and
3. What are the glassware types and kinds?

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Answers to the Guide Questions

Question 1: The equipment for mixing are ice chest, ice maker, container for
bottles such as bottle wells and speed rails, hand gun, mixers such as shake
mixer and blender, and glass chiller. The equipment for washing are three or
four compartment sink, drain boards, glass washer, and hand sink.

Question 2: The bar tools and small equipment for mixing and pouring are
jigger, shot glass, pourer, mixing glass, hand shaker, cocktail strainer, bar
spoon, ice scoop, ice tong, muddler, fruit squeezer/ juicer, and funnel. The bar
tools and small equipment for garnishing are cutting board, bar knife, relish
fork, zester, bar caddy, ice bucket with tong, bucket stand/wine cooler, garnish
tray, and glass rimmer. The bar tools and small equipment for serving are
speed bottle openers, winekey/ jack knife, round serving trays, and tip tray.

Question 3: The glassware types are tumbler, footed ware, stemmed ware,
and mug while the glass kinds are rocks, highball, collins, margarita, martini,
shot glass, brandy glass, wine glass, champagne glasses, Irish coffee glass,
and poco grande.

Key Points

1. There are two categories of equipment used in the bar, one is equipment
for mixing and the other is equipment for washing.

2. A bar has three categories of tools and small equipment. These may be
classified as tools for mixing, for garnishing, and for when serving the
customer.

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 3. Glassware may have two classifications one is according to type which is
based on their parts or structure while the other one is according to their
kind which is usually based on what drink is served in them.

References and Supplementary Materials

Books
1. Katsigris, Costas and Thomas, Chris. (2007). The Bar and Beverage Book.
4th Ed. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Online Supplementary Materials:

1. Advanced Mixology. (2020, April 30). 40+ Bar Tools and Equipment Every
Bartender Needs to Have in Bar. https://advancedmixology.com/blogs/art-
of-mixology/bar-tools-guide

2. Advanced Mixology. (2020, May 6). Jigger vs. Shot Glass: Which One to
Use and When to Use Them. https://advancedmixology.com/blogs/art-of-
mixology/jigger-vs-shot-glass?_pos=3&_sid=e897ca24e&_ss=r

3. Mccutchen, Monica. (2019, September 16). 22 Essential Tools and

Equipment Every Bar Should Have. https://www.glimpsecorp.com/bar-
tools-and-equipment-and-their-uses/

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