The 10 Best Bartending Kits to Bring Happy Hour Home

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Sure, it's one thing to master your mixology basics. You can whip up an impeccable Negroni ratio, know exactly how long to stir a Martini, and know which orange liqueur and cognac produce a killer Sidecar. But, it's all a waste if you can't make that cocktail in style. It is quite another thing to make that cocktail with style. Every mixologist—man or woman, real-life bartender or part time whiskey lover—needs high-quality, good-looking tools in their bar cart.

Here, you'll find those essential tools in the form of bartending kits. Whether luxury or barebones, these are straight from our expert-tested home bar guide. If you're looking for the best bartending kits, look no further. Oh, and if you don't know any cocktail recipes, we've got plenty of literature on mixology, too. Get to studying.

Kipton Mixologist Box

Ok yes, it's wildly expensive, but nothing is going to make you feel as pro as this cocktail tool kit. Filled with gear from Ralph Lauren's Polo Bar and done up with a saddle leather carry box, it's a set that you'll always want on full display.

Roll-up 9-Piece Set

High-quality tools kept simple and easy to tote around, this kit is everything you need to take your next-level bartending skills wherever you go. Pull up to wherever you end up—a vacation spot, friend's place, or campsite—and be ready to craft up whatever your crew is asking for.

Cocktail Shaker Bar Set

A basic kit for cocktail rookies. It doesn't have a mixing glass, but you can stir drinks in the tin—it's not just for shaken drinks. Either way, at the end of the night you will have a shaken or stirred something, and it will be cold, and that's what you're here for.

Gunmetal Barware Set

We'll call this kit "basic-plus," as it gives you a Hawthorne strainer, used for keeping ice, seeds, and other bits from a drink. The gunmetal finish is about as edgy as a cocktail set can be (unless you want to buy a smoking cloche; that's next-level), but True makes this in traditional stainless steel and bright copper, too.

Archer Barware Collection

West Elm puts together a great all-in-one cocktail kit, complete with a gold barware tray. It looks good enough to elevate your bar space, but functionally, it's got everything you need.

Mixology 10-Piece Bartender Set

We all gotta start somewhere, and this is somewhere: 10 pieces of bartending gear, only a few of which you'll use exactly zero times, all nestled in their own home to keep things tidy.

Craft Cocktail Set

Rabbit, that brand you know from painstakingly uncorked bottles of wine, went modern with the look of this kit—just look at that strainer. There's no shaker, but you do get a garnish tool, which ought to save knuckle skin in your efforts to zest and twist.

Bentley Mix Glass Set

Ever a classic if we've seen one, a Ralph Lauren mixing glass, bar spoon, and Hawthorne strainer will, by dint of existing, make a Manhattan taste better than any other set could.

Bleecker 5-Piece Bar Tool Set

When you've got the tins but lack the utensils—and a designated location to put them besides the big spoon and spatula drawer—this kit offers an attractive, organized solution.

Bartender's Toolkit

Ever marveled over a cocktail crafted in the Japanese style? Umami Mart imports the pieces of its toolkit—like a julep strainer and pronged bar spoon—from Japan, where reverence for a carefully mixed drinks outplays speed and efficiency. Apply that level of care to your next round.

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