Home bars, like their professional counterparts, come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you’re trying to build your own speakeasy or just looking to upgrade your corner of the kitchen, a few easy home bar hacks can step up your cocktail game in no time at all.

1: Make Bigger, Clearer Ice

You don’t need to break the bank on a Kold-Draft ice machine. For less than the price of a fancy cocktail, you can freeze your own king-sized ice squares, which are perfect for sipping Scotch. If you’re throwing a party and need to chill down a large punch—or just want to hand crack from a large block—fill up a large, sealable container with water ahead of time. Then throw it in the freezer. 

2: Step Up Your Simple

Simple syrup is just what the name implies: a simple 50/50 mix of sugar and water. And while a lot of great cocktails find their balance with simple (as the pros call it), the liquid is a great platform to build on and explore. Try new sweeteners. For example, use vegan-friendly agave syrup in a refreshing Margarita, rich maple syrup in the easy-going Autumn Rickey or honey in the classic Brown Derby. Infuse: Go ahead, color outside the lines! Steep spices, herbs, citrus rinds, flower petals and even, yes, tea in your simple, and enjoy a custom take on any drink.

3: Get Good Tools

If you’ve already got a Yarai mixing glass and gold cocktail picks, you can skip this step. For everyone else just starting your committed drinking: Invest in tools. You don’t need to go crazy with accessories, but it’s worth shelling out a bit on the basics. Even with regular use, quality tools will last you a lifetime. With that in mind, please stop using a novelty shot glass as a jigger, a fork as a strainer and an old jam jar as a shaker. To get you started, here are five must-have bar tools:

1. Shaker tin (and if you don’t have one, a tempered pint glass or two)
2. Mixing glass
3. Hawthorne Strainer
4. Jigger (double-sided, with half-measures noted)
5. Nice glassware (your local Goodwill should have a big selection of cheap, vintage cocktail and rocks glasses)

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4: Use Fresh Fruit Juice

This might seem like a no-brainer, but enough people are still buying over-sweetened, over-the-counter grapefruit, orange and lemon juice that it begs repeating: Go fresh. There’s a reason the best cocktail bars in the country spend hours every day leading up to opening juicing. The pre-bottled variety just can’t compete. Another benefit is that staying with the seasonally available will make you more creative with your recipes. Whether you’re using an electric juicer, hand-squeezing or even just muddling in the shaker, there’s a range of bold, colorful new recipes to try, such as the Blood Orange Margarita or the Rhubarb Fix. Use this handy chart to see what’s in season and available.

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5: Try DIY “Aging”

By now, you’ve likely seen house “aged” Manhattans or Negronis at your local cocktail bar. While it might seem gimmicky, even a short aging can bring out new and interesting notes between the ingredients. On a very practical level, it’s also a nice gift to future You. Some day soon, you’ll come home from a long day of work and, lo, what will be waiting for you, but a ready-made cocktail. Find a mirror and raise a cheers to yourself. Want more flexibility? You can infuse specific spirits instead of entire cocktails. Try adding lemon peels to that bottom-shelf vodka, or fresh sliced ginger to whiskey for an eye-opening Old-Fashioned. Ever wanted to make your own Fireball? It’s easier than you think.

6: Ikea Hack Your Bar

Not all the tricks happen behind the bar. Sometimes the hack is the bar itself. Of course it would be nice to have a 10-foot, walnut bar with vintage back mirror in your apartment. No argument here. If that’s within your means and your lease, build it. Also, please invite us over. For everyone else, the game is using creativity, elbow grease and (probably) power tools to maximize your bar for your budget and space. Here are some great, wallet-friendly ideas to get you started.

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7: Use a Spray Bottle

There’s no doubt you’ve had a cocktail by now that involved a spirit “rinse.” But it’s pretty wasteful to pour half an ounce of alcohol into a glass, swirl it around and then pour it out. The solution? Small spray bottles you can purchase just about anywhere. Fill them up with the necessary spirit and one spray will cover the inside of the glass without wasting an expensive ingredient.

8: Create Smarter Storage

Bitters are no longer just a passing cocktail ingredient. They’re a whole class of their own with interesting infusions popping up just about everywhere. Switching up your bitters is a great way to try a new twist on an old classic recipe, but where to store all those delightful little bottles? Try a ceiling-mounted metal tray with strong magnets or a BottleLoft made of magnetic strips. Now you’ve created a cool bar decoration and functional storage.

Read it at Liquor.com

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