5 essential cocktail kits for the budding mixologist

Whether you’re shaking a Martini, stirring an Old Fashioned, or trying your first-ever mocktail, any bartender will tell you: a great cocktail starts with the right tools. Fortunately , you don’t have to be a pro to mix like one. Cocktail kits and whiskey sets like the five below make the perfect gifts for amateur DIY bartenders and budding mixologists in need of a basic tool kit. Or, grab one for your own at-home bar. Reasonably priced and effortlessly stylish, kits like these allow you put your energy into crafting the perfect Martini, whether it’s shaken or stirred.

Mixology Bartender Kit: 9-Piece Bar Set

A beautiful basic for the budding mixologist, this nine-piece set includes everything required to craft cocktails—a curvy, Art-Deco-vibe, muddler, jigger for measuring, easy-handling Hawthorne strainer, and a recipe book. Bonus: the kit stays organized in a sleek stainless-steel stand.

Buy at Amazon Buy at Walmart

16-Piece Mixology Bartender Kit

The 16-Piece Mixology Bartender Kit might be the Goldilocks of bar kits—not too big, not too small, just right for the zealous amateur, relaxed enough for the consummate entertainer. A full-court kit, it also includes a sleek ice bucket, perfect for keeping bottles cold while you shake and stir.

Buy at Amazon Buy at Walmart

Mixology Bartender Kit: 23-Piece Bar Set

Anchored by a classic Martini shaker, this comprehensive 23-piece bartender’s tool kit includes an easy-to-grip Hawthorne strainer, lined jigger for easy measuring, bottle opener, bottle stoppers, stirring spoon, tongs, strudy muddler, and more. If 23 sounds like a lot, don’t worry: the kit comes with a sleek, neutral bamboo stand, easy to snuggle up among the bottles on your bar cart.

Buy at Amazon

Mixology Whiskey Stones Gift Set

Even if you run a busy at-home bar, some friends just want a neat pour of good whiskey. That’s where the Mixology Whiskey Stones Gift Set comes in. The set, which comes in a handsome burnt-wood box, includes two crystal glasses (inscribed with bonus witty whiskey wisdom) plus eight granite whiskey stones. Once chilled, the stones cool your favorite whiskey without added dilution.

Buy at Amazon

Whiskey Stones Gift Set

Another handy set for a home bar for whiskey lovers, this Whiskey Stones Gift Set also comes in a wooden crate that doubles as storage and decor. The set has two funky design twists on the Old Fashioned glass, plus eight granite whiskey stones, tongs, classic recipes, and coasters, for the well-mannered imbiber. Avoid watery whiskey in style, and store it all away easily until it’s time for something brown and boozy again.

Buy at Amazon Buy at Walmart

Getting your at-home bar outfitted with the right tools is easy and affordable. All it takes is the right kit. And who knows? You might not just mix a great cocktail, but launch a career.

Maybe it’s a coincidence but the more time we spend at home, the more time we spend at our home bars. And if you’ve realized your home bar needs a little beefing-up, products like these are an easy way to outfit yourself for a huge variety of cocktails and mixed drinks. A variety of set-sizes means you can buy according to your needs (and thirst), and the sleek look makes any of these kits easy to incorporate into your entertainment setup.