10 Best Bartending Kits, According to Cocktail Experts

This bartending kit contains just about everything you need to make most drinks. It has a cocktail shaker for shaken drinks like margaritas and a long-handled spoon for drinks that require stirring. The two liquor pourers help ensure that pouring from the bottle is easy and mess-free, instead of having the liquid dribble down the side. It also comes with a bottle opener, which Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab Director Nicole Papantoniou likes because it's not found in smaller sets.

We appreciate this compact wood stand, which keeps everything organized so items don't get lost in a junk drawer or cabinet. It comes with 10 pieces, including a jigger, muddler, strainer and more. We wish it had a mixing glass, but it's not a deal breaker, since another glass could be substituted in its place. It comes in copper, silver and black.

If you're looking for a bartending kit but don't want to break the bank, you'll love this set from FineDine. It comes with 14 pieces, all for less than $15, and the brand performed well in our best French press tests, so we feel comfortable recommending it. It has a Boston shaker that consists of two tin cups, which Buhler says is great for durability, since they won't break like a glass cup might.

It also has two shot glasses and a two-sided bottle opener, neither of which are seen with many other kits. (Usually, kits with these tools have only one shot glass and a one-sided bottle opener.) If you're unsure where to begin making cocktails, a 16-recipe cocktail book is included. It's one of the highest-rated sets on Amazon, with more than 12,500 reviews and a 4.7 rating. This set contains many tools for the price, but some reviewers say this isn't the most elegant set for having guests over.

The Rabbit Craft Cocktail Set immediately stood out with its unique-looking bar tools. Unlike metal Hawthorne or julep strainers that come with most bartending kits, it has a dome-shaped silicone strainer. In our test at home, we found the silicone helped hold the strainer in place. We also liked the weighty bottom of the mixing glass to help prevent the glass from tipping over, which Buhler recommends.

Citrus and twist garnish fans will appreciate the reamer to help juice citrus fruits, and the tool doubles as a muddler. The bartending kit also includes a peeler and grater tool combined for zesting and peeling a garnish like a lemon twist. Just be aware that for shaken drinks, you'll have to buy a shaker separately.

This bartending kit is one of Crate & Barrel's best-selling bar kits, and many Crate & Barrel reviewers who bought it for themselves or as a gift were extremely pleased. We loved that this looks just as stunning in person as it does online, making it perfect for displaying on a wet bar or anywhere else. When testing at home, we appreciated that the heavy metal tools feel sturdy, so they'll likely be durable over time.

The ice bucket can double as a storage container when you're finished whipping up cocktails, and the bar tool's long handles help everything stay upright to keep everything neat and organized. The ice bucket has a small footprint of 6.5 inches in diameter and 6.25 inches in height, so it doesn't take up a lot of room for easy storage. The downside to this set: You'll need to buy a cocktail shaker separately. The set comes in four stylish finishes: gold, copper, silver and graphite.

The Bleeker Barware Collection is one of Pottery Barn's best sellers. We like this collection for serving guests because it has a bar tray that can easily carry multiple drinks. The collection also has a matching ice bucket, stainless steel tongs and a pitcher for martinis or other drinks. All the pieces have a finish of antiqued gold or blackened bronze to give them a vintage yet modern look that will impress your guests or display nicely next to the rest of your bar collection. The collection also has a bar tool set, cocktail shaker and drink dispenser. All pieces are sold separately, so it doesn't come as a kit, but you can also choose the exact items you need.

This set from Williams Sonoma allows you to make just about any drink you want. It has a Hawthorne strainer for shaken drinks, like palomas, and a julep strainer for stirred drinks, like negronis. Both strainers hook onto the shaker cup for easy, spill-free pouring. Aspiring mixologists or pros can get creative with the double-ended muddler with a wooden end for muddling herbs and a metal end for fruit. We especially like the ice tongs, which have flared, serrated edges to grasp ice securely and prevent slipping, a feature that Buhler recommends.

This bartending kit is pretty enough to leave out on display and offers the essentials you need to make a shaken drink with muddled ingredients. The long wooden muddler is easy to grasp, and its large base also helps cover more ground at one time. We like the slim design of the jigger, which offers more precise measuring and even has a pour spout to help make the process neater. The Boston shaker works well and is easy to assemble, take apart and clean.

Crafthouse by Fortessa also makes an equally beautiful bartending kit for stirred drinks that features a stunning mixing glass with a wide base, instead of a shaker and a mixing spoon instead of a muddler.

This bartending kit from Sur La Table has the essential tools like a Boston shaker, double-sided jigger, Hawthorne strainer and muddler. In addition to those pieces, a cutting board and bar knife, which don't come with most kits, are included in the set, making it great for someone who cuts a lot of fruit and garnishes for their drinks. Papantoniou says she likes a Boston shaker because it's easy to use and clean and, unlike some traditional shakers, it doesn't suction, which causes splattering when opening. We also appreciate that the bar knife incorporates a forked edge to pick up ingredients easily. This set is better for someone who prefers shaken drinks over stirred ones, since it doesn't include a mixing glass or spoon.

For those needing a simple kit that likely won't be displayed, this makes an excellent gift for a beginner or someone who wants a basic bartending kit. The mixing glass stood out, with recipes on the outside of the cup, including "mango madness" and "mimosa del sol." The set includes a shot glass, metal strainer, metal stir spoon, metal shaker base, metal shaker, mixing glass and wood muddler. However, Buhler says wooden muddlers are not as durable as others and may need to be replaced over time.

We love this bartending kit from Williams Sonoma for its unique matte-black look that will display well anywhere. On top of including the usual pieces — like a shaker, Hawthorne strainer, muddler and more — it comes with two liquor pourers and a fine-mesh strainer that is usually not seen in bar kits. The fine-mesh strainer is great for those who like citrus or fruit drinks but want to get the last remaining bits that make it through the Hawthorne strainer. Our experts also appreciate that all the tools are dishwasher safe, unlike other sets, which have some pieces that require hand-washing. While this set has just about everything you need, it's missing a mixing glass for stirred drinks, but another glass could easily be used instead.