Alternative Bar Tools for Easy Cocktail Making

You can make great drinks without having tons of tools on hand

Here are our favorite tips, tricks, and home methods

Don't worry, Cheeky still does the heavy lifting.

Not everyone who loves quality cocktails and beverages is looking to invest in a full home bar kit! In fact, we know that some folks who love craft cocktails think that the only place to have them is in a cocktail bar. But, these days, you probably aren’t trying to risk it just for a perfectly balanced drink (as much as we both know you’re thinking about it!)

Cheeky is here to show you how to be the cocktail wizard that quarantine calls for! You don’t have to leave your home to enjoy your favorite mixed drinks and you don’t have to compromise on quality for convenience. We offer you the best of both with home delivery of all-natural, expertly balanced and shelf stable cocktail kits to wow your inner circle and treat yourself!

Ball Jar Batchology, here we go!An alternative for both shakers and mixing glasses The Wide-mouthed Mason Jar is one of our favorite home tools. 16oz jar for drinks with friends, 32oz when your friends bring friends! Plus we love the versatility and reusability of these timeless kitchen staples.

As Simple as You’d Expect:

The Wide-mouthed Mason Jar & Seal Top makes an excellent impromptu shaker! Be sure of a good seal, shake 10 - 15 seconds, pour over fresh ice. For stirred drinks pour your ingredients, add plenty of ice and give a good steady stir to make sure your drink is well mixed!

Plus, free pouring (unmeasured) ingredients happens, the sides of these jars often have mL and oz measurements to help keep you in check.

In a real pinch to shake up drinks and feeling cheeky? Try heavy duty zip lock freezer bagswith slider clips, we’ve definitely done this at the beach!

• Pour measured ingredients into zip lock bag with a few ice cubes.
• Seal and give a good shake supporting the slider clip with your fingers and keeping the bag upright.
• Carefully pour over some fresh ice. Your friends will applaud your ingenuity and your tastebuds will applaud your cheek.

No Jigger, No Biggie Most novelty shot glasses measure 1 -1.5oz and are a good starting point for building drinks at home. A good rule: aim for equal parts Juice and Syrup and double that for the Alcohol to make a balanced drink. Measuring cups or jars are also great for batching multiple drinks. Remember, be bold and trust your taste buds first and foremost. There's aways time to correct an imbalanced drink if you taste before you serve.

No Bar Spoon? No Problem  

   Chop Sticks effortlessly make for smooth stirring. Even the disposable spare from last night's takeout will work great though stainless steel or lacquered are preferable!

  Long Handled Spoon, aka Coffee or Iced Tea Spoon. These have a long enough handle to reach the bottom of a tall glass allowing you to thoroughly blend your ingredients without dipping your fingers into your guest's drink. Try for a smooth vs choppy stir if there’s no juice in your drink to keep that baby smooth and silky.

No Julep Strainer? 

Use the back side of any large spoon to hold your ice in place while the drink pours around it. Slotted spoons work best if you have one!

No Hawthorne Strainer?

Working with Cheeky shelf stable juices already means not having to worry about chewy pulp or bits of seed in your finished drink. Skip the strainer and pour your drinks over half fresh ice straight from your mixing glass, give cheers and enjoy! 

Tea Strainer Gone Missing?

A little planning ahead can go a long way! Infusing herbs or fruit into syrups or spirits can allow you to gain the benefits of their natural flavors without having to work with the ingredient for every cocktail you make. Once infused you can strain out the solids en masse ahead of time and eliminate the need for the tea strainer altogether! We love adding ginger and lime peel to Rums and fresh herbs and berries to Vodka.

Muddler Still in Your Shopping Cart?

The handle side of a wooden spoon can work great. In your mixing jar, gently smash fresh ingredients like berries or mint and sugar. Another technique to wake up herbs and bring their essential oils into your drinks is to pinch a bundle or sprig in one hand and slap the leaves against your palm. Then you can coarsely tear the herbs and add them to your mixing jar or shaker. Alternately, leave the sprig intact for a garnish on your finished beverages. Fresh herbs, like mint and rosemary, are not only beautiful additions. They also provide an aromatic boost— engaging multiple senses at once!

Go forth and Batch On!

Now that you have these tips and tricks, you can repurpose kitchen tools to your own at-home bar kit! You can even take your bar kit on-the-go to picnics, beach days, BBQs and backyard hang sessions. During these challenging times as our practices for socializing and conducting ourselves in public change rapidly, we understand that some normalcy is important for staying sane. You might not be traveling to bars and restaurants as much, but you can still enjoy your favorite drinks. Cheeky Cocktails is here to answer your cocktail questions, set you up with your ingredients and get you started on your way to being your new favorite bartender!