Barware

If you haven't already then at some point in life you're going to host a cocktail party. And when you do you're going to need some cocktail stuff. Not lots of cocktail stuff, but the right cocktail stuff, stuff that will make your martini resemble a martini and your margarita rise above the level of a glorified Slurpee. We're talking barware.

Don't worry, barware is not brain surgery but if you're setting up bar it helps to know the difference between say a jigger and a muddler, or when to opt for a Boston Shaker over a Hawthorne Shaker, or why it's best to serve champagne in a champagne flute and not in a shot glass.

We've broken our barware guide into two categories: barware accessories and cocktail glassware. Barware accessories overview the bar tools, the drink gadgets and liquor measurers, cocktail shakers and daiquiri blenders, wine corkscrews and bar top coasters - you know, the things that help make sure your fourth Cosmopolitan looks and tastes as good as your first Cosmopolitan.

The cocktail glassware section, meanwhile, serves as a handy illustrated cheat sheet to help you identify and differentiate the myriad vessels from which we imbibe. No more confusing your Hurricanes with your Highballs. The section also attempts to explain the reasoning behind a cocktail glass's particular shape. Yes, believe it or not there are functioning, utilitarian reasons why cocktail, beer and wine glasses are shaped the way they are. And, like your party guests, some reasons make sense; others are lame, but they're still fun to have around.

Together the sections should give you enough barware information to host a relatively competent cocktail party or at the very least help you get drunk enough to perform brain surgery. Cheers!

See our Barware section.