Drink and Cocktail Accessories Buying Guide
Stock your bar with the right drink and cocktail accessories to impress your customers. This guide will tell you exactly what you need to deliver drinks that not only taste great, but look appetising too.
We have a wide collection of cocktail accessories from reputable manufacturers to help you create a lasting impression. Cocktail making comes down to having the best tools and, at Alliance Online, we stock top equipment recommended by mixologists.
Keep reading for your ultimate manual for bar and cocktail accessories, to keep customers returning again and again!
Cocktail Shakers
A cocktail shaker is a must-have for professional drink making. It acts as a vessel for quickly mixing ingredients together, and chills and dilutes the drink at the same time. The ice inside the shaker cools the ingredients and adds a bit of necessary water. The two most common types of cocktail shakers used behind a bar are Boston Shakers (made up of two tins) and Cobbler Shakers (a single unit). You can’t serve up a cocktail without this tool, so choose from our collection of shakers to mix up tasty drinks in no time.
Strainers
A cocktail strainer is a metal bar accessory used to remove ice, leaves, or fruit from a mixed drink whilst it is poured into the serving glass. It resembles a small sieve and is placed over the mouth of a glass or cocktail shaker to allow only liquids to pass through. The best drink strainers are made from stainless steel and have a good quality wound spring. You can find strainers with 2 ears ,4 ears, or no ears in our range. These are metal tabs stopping the strainer from falling into the shaker.
Stirrers
A disc stirrer is an essential for any bar to serve alongside cocktails, milkshakes or smoothies. A little silver or gold drink stirrer will level up any drink with a fancy touch. A martini or manhattan cocktail in particular are complimented well with the finishing touch of a stirrer. Stirrers also double up as a useful tool for quickly mixing cocktail ingredients together. We only stock stainless steel stirrers for your bar, to provide a solution to single use plastic legislation.
Muddlers
A muddler is a crucial accessory for your bartenders. It’s a cylinder with a wide flat end and a textured base, similar to a pestle. A drinks muddler is used to mash fruits, herbs and spices at the bottom of a glass to release their flavour. The two most common types found behind a bar are wood muddlers and steel muddlers. They each have different benefits and you can find both, from top manufacturers, on our website.
Mixing Spoons
Another cocktail accessory to invest in for your bar is mixing spoons. These are long-handled steel spoons used for mixing and layering drinks. The long length ensures that they can reach the bottom of a tall jug and the twisted handle allows for continuous and smooth stirring. Our mixing spoons are the preferred choice for a bartender because they feature an exact 5ml spoon. This allows them to also be used as a measuring tool to add a touch of liquor to a drink.
Other drinks accessories
There are a few other bar accessories that are a necessity to make excellent cocktails:
- Jiggers: This is a measuring device delivering exact 25ml and 50ml measurements of drink
- Rimmers: Used to add sugar, salt or lime coatings to the rim of a cocktail glass
- Parasols: Paper accessories to add some fun to a cocktail or mocktail
- Cocktail sticks and prism picks: Great for serving olives, fruit and other garnishes in a cocktail
Bar Caddies
To keep these accessories organised and accessible for your bartenders, bar caddies are a necessity. Purchase plastic, wooden, or metal bar caddies to make a busy bartender’s life easier. They can be used to store straws, picks and stirrers, or to keep garnishes sanitary.
Napkins and Napkin Dispensers
Last but not least, keep your customers happy with napkin dispensers on tables and along the counter-top. Choose from aluminium caddies or easy-to-clean coated plastic caddies, and purchase refills on the Alliance website. Whilst 1 ply napkins are recommended for light use, we also stock 2 ply and 3 ply napkins. Thicker and with better absorption, these are more suitable for use with a cocktail or on a side plate.
To serve up delicious and impressive drinks at your bar or restaurant, the right tools and accessories are vital. Find everything you could need to mix, measure, and garnish a cocktail in our Drink & Cocktail range. Plus, check out our Bar Accessories page for everything from jugs and glasses, to check pads and tip trays. Alliance Online is the go-to for your hospitality establishment and for any further help please contact our customer care team.