1. Bar Condiment Dispenser ---Used to hold garnishes, such as cherries, olives, onions, and so on

2. Bar Mat --- A bar mat is a long thin rubber mat that drinks are prepared on. It’s also called a spill mat. It’s designed to catch liquids while making drinks. Some home bars just use folded bar towels as a workspace. Some crazy nightclub bars take the bar mats at the end of the night and pour it into a glass and call it a Matador. Believe it or not someone will actually drink it on a dare.           

3.  Bar Spoon --- A long spoon for stirring cocktails.

4. Beer Bucket --- Some bars sell buckets of beer. They are normally galvanized metal buckets with handles that you fill with ice and insert beer bottles. They are great for large groups.

5. Beer Tap Handle --- Beer tap handles are normally supplied by the beer distributor. They are pricey and don’t like it when you lose them. To operate just pull them towards you. Some bars make you unscrew them and lock them up. When a keg blows (runs out of beer) quickly stick a glass (plastic is best) on top of the handle or remove the handle. This means that you’re temporarily out of this beer.

6. Bench-Mounted Wine Opener --- A bench-mounted wine opener allows you to open a bottle of wine in 2 seconds. It can be mounted permanently or wing nut screwed tightly to the bar. To operate, start with the handle upright then insert the neck of the bottle into the chute.

 Hold firmly with one hand and pull the handle down then up with the other hand and the bottle is uncorked. Most will pop the cork out for you as well once the handle makes its way to the full upright position again. Also, it works better if you cut the foil off the bottle first.

7. Blender --- There are many types of commercial or home blenders with various speeds. Always put liquid in first when making a drink. This will save your blade. Some blenders (but not all) can be used to make crushed ice. Check with the manufacturer or buy an ice crusher.

8. Brandy Warmer --- Some guests will request their brandy or Cognac to be warmed. Select bars carry brandy warmers that hold a tea light, however don’t fret if yours doesn’t because you can make one with items found around most bars. All you need is a rocks glass and hot water.

9. Can Opener/Church key --- The most common punch can opener is called is also called a church key. It useful for opening cans and doubles as a bottle opener.

10. Cash Caddy --- Cash caddies attach to cocktail servers tray. It holds their money, change, tabs, mints, lipstick, or whatever they want to put in there. Sometimes a cocktail server will slip it off their tray and hand it to you for safe keeping while they run to the restroom or something.

11. Champagne Stopper ---A Champagne stopper helps keep the carbonation in an opened bottle. Start with the wings out then place the rubber part on the mouth of the bottle, push down and fold the wings down catching the lip of the bottle.

12. Champagne/ Wine Bucket --- A Champagne bucket holds and keeps the Champagne or wine cold. It’s best to use them with a stand. They also make great make-shift tip buckets.

13. Check Presenter --- Check presenters are padded leather-like folders that are used to present a tab, check, or bill. It’s a nice touch to hand a guest a check presenter

14. Cigar Cutter --- A cigar cutter cuts the ends of a cigar. It was a very popular item for bartenders in the 1990’s, but with all the smoking bans of the 21st century, they are slowly fading away. However, you will still have guests ask and then smoke outside.

15. Citrus Reamer ---A citrus reamer is a manual tool used to extract juice. You’ll find them at hand made cocktail bars.

16. Cocktail Napkins --- Cocktail napkins are usually square 5” X 5” folded napkins used to place a cocktail upon. They are also called beverage napkins or bev naps for short. They are also the social papyrus of the bar used to collect phone numbers, addresses, directions, inspirational ideas, artwork, and more.

 The cousin of the cocktail napkin is the coaster. These are used a lot in outdoor bars because napkins tend to fly away. Indoors, they are mostly used for beer. Distributors give them to bars for free.

17. Guinness Spoon--- When a distributor puts a Guinness tap on your bar it’s accompanied by a spoon that fits on the edge of the glass to help layer Guinness on top of ale to make a Black & Tan. Normally it comes with a metal beaded cord to hang on the tap. Don’t forget to clean it at the end of the night!

17. Gun --- 99% of the time your gun refers to the soda gun. The soda gun will have buttons with letters on the buttons. Generally, S = soda water, C = cola, W = water, L = sprite or 7 up (L stands for lemon-lime soda), Q or T = tonic water (Q stands for quinine of which is in tonic water), and D = diet cola. Know that some of the soda’s can be on buttons that don’t make sense, but you just remember what that bar uses and go with it.

Soda guns are either use a post-mix or a pre-mix system. Post-mix has bags of syrup housed in boxes that mix with a water line and CO2 line. When you press a button on the soda gun, all three mix together and come out of the gun. Most modern bars use a post-mix system because the boxes are very easy to deal with. You know it’s time to go change the box when your cola, for example, comes out clear (carbonated water).

To change the box is simple. Unscrew it and screw it to another bag-in-a-box.

The pre-mix system has the water all ready pre-mixed in a canister. You see these canisters at a lot of portable outdoor venue bars.

There are also juice guns and liquor guns. The juice guns are connected to the nastiest flavored sugary crap on the planet. The buttons are normally color coded as well as lettered. For example, O = orange juice. Liquor guns usually dispense the well liquors; vodka, gin, rum, tequila, bourbon, whiskey, and scotch.

The lines are run to a back room that house half gallon bottles turned upside down into the lines. The gun will have V for vodka, G for gin and so on. The gun only lets a shot come out and then to get other sized amounts like a half shot you have to hit certain buttons first.

They’re a pain, but are put there by owner’s trying to control the inventory.

The following links and resources will help you choose the tools that you need:-

The Authentic Bartender Barstore  will provide you with  the bartending  tools that is essential to your career , plus much more

Also available from The BarShop are another large array of bartending tools for yourself:-

DrinkStuff.com  in the United Kingdom has the aim to offer the widest assortment of bartending tools on the net

And for an added variety of tools for yourself, just click on Bartending tools

18. Ice bucket --- Pick one that's large enough to hold at least three trays of ice.

19. Ice Crusher --- These are usually found in high end bars, tropical bars, pool and beach bars and at home bars. Of all the things behind a bar, crushed ice is a favorite of ours.

20. Ice Tongs--- Ice Tongs are a home bar enthusiast tool that hangs out with its best friend the ice bucket. No real bartender would own these unless they’re entertaining a party of two in their living room, bedroom or hotel room.

21. Insulated Thermos Carafe --- Sometimes when bars don’t have their own coffee maker and the kitchen is too far, a great solution is to use an insulated thermos carafe. You can have one for regular coffee, decaf and hot water.

22. Juice Containers --- Juice containers are plastic containers that hold juice kept in your well for easy access. Some people call them Store-n-Pours, but that’s just a brand name. They come in quart, half gallon and gallon sizes and necks and spouts come in different colors to easily tell what juice is inside.

 For example, cranberry juice would be put in the red one. There are a couple different types. The first one is a spout neck pourer. These have three pieces to them; the container, the neck (screws on the container) and a spout (pops on the neck). To make the juice flow out faster, experienced bartenders know to stick a straw in the spout.

Juice container designers got hip to the extra little straw trick bartenders have to do so now you can find containers advertised as having an air vent. The second kind only has two pieces; a container and a neck that screws on and are usually called EZ pourers. These are the best ones to have.

23. Keg System --- A keg is a large stainless steel container that holds beer and a CO2 (carbon dioxide) tank is a tall heavy cylinder-shaped thick metal canister with two gauges attached to it. The CO2 gives the beer carbonation. Together, these make up the keg system.

 The two most important things with a keg system is the temperature of the beer and psi pressure (pound per square inch) of the tank. These two work together and if one is off then you will get foamy or flat beer

Every system is a little different so you have to adjust them to figure out the best temperature and psi you need that works for your bar. Managers and beer distributors often handle this, but it’s always good for a bartender to know how their equipment works.

In most cases, the CO2 lines for a beer keg need to be pressured between 12 & 14 psi Over 14 psi and the beer will be too foamy and below 12 psi the beer will be flat. And the beer keg temperature needs to be between 36 & 38 degrees F; below the beer will be flat and above and it will be foamy.

To change the keg and CO2 tank is pretty easy. The keg has a coupler that just twists on and off and also has a locking mechanism/handle. To change a keg, just pull out on the handle (this unlocks it) then lift the handle up while still pulling out. Now it’s unlocked and all you have to do is twist it a half turn lefty loosey and it will come off.

 To reattach it to a full keg just do the steps backwards. Whatever you do, when putting the tap on a full keg, don’t push down or you will get sprayed with beer. All you do is find the groove/thread where it will twist half turn righty tighty. You’ll see 2 hose lines hooked up to the handle. One is from the CO2 tank (in) and the other line going to your tap (out).

The CO2 tank will last a long time. It has two gauges; one is the tanks pressure and the other is the output pressure. When changing the tank, always make sure it’s empty first by looking at the gauges. To be on the safe side turn off the valve that sits on top. There’s always a wrench near the tank so find it and unscrew the nut hose connection then disconnect, but don’t loose the washer. Reconnect a new tank by following these steps backwards.

24. Knife and cutting board --- You’ll need a good sharp knife to cut fruit and garnishes. A serrated (little edges not a clean edge) one is preferred. Clean edged knives have to be sharpened too much.. The Cutting board that meat is cut on as well. Bar cutting boards are smallish so they can be cleaned easily in a bar sink. To keep it slip-free always lay a wet bar towel under it.
 

25. Large water pitcher --- Someone always wants water.

26. Mixing Glass --- A mixing glass looks just like a pint glass and can be used with a shaker tin to shake drinks. It’s also used to muddle, and to stir a classic Martini or Manhattan. You use a julep strainer with a mixing glass.

27. Muddler --- A muddler looks like a small wooden bat. You use the flat end to crush and mash fruits, sugar cubes, herbs and more to make drinks like a Mojito or a Mint Julep. Never use a varnished or lacquered muddler because those poisons will get into the drink. Make sure it’s unvarnished and oiled.

28. Napkin Caddy--- A napkin caddy sits on the bar top and holds bev maps, drinking straws, and cocktail straws. Some have more compartments to hold cocktail picks and matches.

29. Olive Stuffer --- An olive stuffer is used to stuff olives. The most popular stuffing is blue cheese. This weird looking plastic tool simply loads your stuffing, then as you squeeze, it stuffs. Know that you have to take the pimento out beforehand. Some bars stuff olives with almonds, pine nuts, and anchovies as well.

30. POS --- The point where the sale is made. In a bar, the POS Systems are the computers used to make those transactions. The point of sale for a drug dealer is the exchange in the street. He does have a point of sale just not a POS system to do the sale on. Most POS systems are kept on the back bar so they are out of public reach.

Most sophisticated POS systems work basically the same. You’re given a # when you first get hired. The POS system only knows you by that #. The system will take you through different screens and menus prompting you along the way. Usually, the first buttons you hit on the screen are your # to sign in.

 Next it may ask a table #, then how many guests, and then it will open up a menu/screen. From this point you have several squares to choose from. Good programs will have all the most popular items on the first screen. Meaning that the tap beers, specialty drinks, wines, and sodas are right in front of you.

Or they will have buttons for wine, beer, specialty drinks, etc. then when you push the beer button, for example, it will show you all the beers you have. It’s really just a matter of repetition. There’s always a delete button or back button if you make a mistake.

Some POS systems have been programmed to where only a manager can delete items. Don’t sweat too much over the system and know that it’s perfectly acceptable to not know how a new system works. Just write down the steps and soon it will be old hat.


Know that some POS systems have credit card swipe built on the unit. Some credit card machines are separate entities. But they both work the same way. They are hooked up to the bars phone line because when you swipe a credit card it’s calling and verifying if the card is good or not.

Know that some POS systems have credit card swipe built on the unit. Some credit card machines are separate entities. But they both work the same way. They are hooked up to the bars phone line because when you swipe a credit card it’s calling and verifying if the card is good or not.

A cash drawer is just the insert that you put into one of the machines. Banquet bars will just use the insert.

31. Rimmer --- This holds your salt, sugar, juice, and anything else you’re using to rim glasses. The most popular drinks it’s used for is a salt-rimmed Margarita and a sugar-rimmed Lemondrop. Most bartenders put lime cordial in the spongy part to get it wet.

The proper way to rim is not on the rim itself but on the outside of the rim so that extra salt or sugar doesn’t fall into the drink. You can wet the rim with a lemon or lime slice as well. Always clean the rimmer and the sponge at the end of the closing shift because sponges collect lots of germs.

32. Shelf Matting --- Shelf matting is used to set glassware on. It keeps glassware slightly elevated so that airflow can get up and under to dry it out. It also protects the surface below the glassware.

33. Vacuum pump and wine stoppers --- If you work in a bar that sells a lot of wines by the glass then more than likely you will have to insert a rubber wine stopper into each bottle then place the vacuum over it and pump until all the air has been pumped out. This preserves the wine longer.

34. Well ---Your well is where you make drinks. It contains your ice, ice well, speed rail filled with the most common bottles you pick up, juices, soda gun, bar mats, shakers, strainers, jigger, rimmer, and anything else you need to make drinks. Most of everything you need should be no more than one step away from the well.

35. Zester/Channel Knife --- This cuts curly fancy twist with citrus fruits rinds for special drinks.