Magical Mixology: Kitchen Witch Tools for Bartending

Budget-Friendly Bartending Kit

Looking for a cost-effective set, that will have most of what you need? I bought this kit (pictured) from amazon two years ago, and it has held up really well. It’s a great budget-friendly kit for kitchen witch tools for bartending in one, rather than piecing them together individually.

If you’re looking to purchase one kit that will have most of what you need to whip up a witch cocktail, this is a great option.

Shakers

The shaker is the iconic symbol of mixology. A closed container for safe shaking with ice, this kitchen witch tool aerates, chills and balances your drinks. In particular, the shaker is used in citrus and egg white drinks for better balance, texture and flavor integration. 

• In Magical Mixology: Think of the shaker as your cauldron—where everything comes together. It’s where your witches brew alchemizes, binding all the separate elements of your potion into one witch cocktail recipe. It also offers the opportunity to raise and direct energy through movement, or shake it off for a cleansing cocktail. Use the rhythm and movement of shaking like a drum beat or energetic vibration to attune to and raise energy.

The Boston Shaker

The Boston shaker consists of one smaller and one larger “cone” that fits or locks inside each other. At times, this could be two metal tins (popular in modern bartending), or one metal and one glass. Dual metal boston shakers are hands-down my favorite. When you are behind the bar whipping up lots of drinks, these are fast, fluid, and offer a good hand-weight balance. The metal also allows you to keep an eye on how chilled the drink is, to stack the shaker for storage purposes, and not worry about breakage. Sometimes when you shake, a vacuum might form in the shaker. A simple trick with a dual metal shaker is to slap the side of the lip. 

My favorite is a Naranja Japanese shaker, but A Bar Above also has these weighted, pro Boston Shakers. I also regularly use the shaker from the bar kit I mentioned above.

The Cobbler Shaker

This type of shaker combines a strainer and shaker in one. It consists of a metal tin, and a top with strainer and cap. This is a great option for many home bars, as it eliminates the need for purchasing a separate strainer. However, these shakers are more susceptible to getting stuck and are less fluid to use than the dual metal tin. That being said, I have come across a cobbler shakers with improved closures to prevent them getting stuck. My favorite is one from Thyme & Table that I received as a gift (I’m not sure they are still available), and there is also this nice glass one, but it is really quite heavy. I do NOT recommend the gold shaker pictured beyond decorative use–within a few uses the top cap got permanently stuck. So all in all, a cobbler shaker is a great choice for when you only mix a few drinks per occasion. 

Jigger

Proper measuring helps craft a well balanced drink that can be both enjoyable and magical. In bartending, the typical measuring tool is called a jigger. The most common one is a double sided cone, with different increments on each side. For example, one side might measure 1 ounce (in the US), and the other 1.5-2 ounces, with markers inside the cones to indicate smaller increments. 

For home bartending, my personal favorite is this OXO jigger. It features a variety of increments–even 1/3 ounce–allowing for greater diversity of drink balances. It also has a rubber handle, which comes in handy for measuring hot water for drinks. Behind the bar, I prefer the 1oz/2oz jigger (like this Japanese jigger from A Bar Above), perfect for modern craft cocktails that call for 2 ounces. 

Strainers

Delicious witch cocktail recipes and brews often call for fresh ingredient or spices. This makes strainers an essential part of any witch kitchen! With fine holes or even coils to filter drinks, strainers help separate unsavory debris from your finished potion. You may even have some in your kitchen you can already use! Out of the below strainers, I would say the hawthorne and fine mesh strainer are the most important. 

• For Magical Mixology: On a magical level, you can think of strainers as an energetic sifting device – it separates the matter from the final result, for a smooth, unencumbered potion (just like the result of your spell!).

Hawthorne

A strainer coupled with a coil and “legs” to grasp onto your shaker, Hawthorne strainers catch larger chunks of debris, such as mint or cucumber. This is a tool that is specific to bartending, so you may have to purchase this. In certain cocktails, it’s recommended to use this in tandem with a fine mesh/tea strainer. The strainer pictured is part of the bartending kit mentioned earlier, but I’ve also used these OXO ones behind the bar and recommend them.

Fine Mesh or Tea

This is one you may already have in your kitchen! Fine mesh strainers are essential for witches cocktails, as they catch fine debris like ice shards, small herbal pieces or spices. Essentially, they make for a smooth drinking experience. It is definitely a worthwhile investment if you don’t already have one—it can be used in so many ways in the witch’s kitchen. The one pictured is part of the forementioned bartending kit, but these ones are very similar.

Julep

Another common strainer, the julep stainer is a dome-shaped with larger holes in it, that is often used for straining drinks like an old fashioned from a mixing glass. It hails from when it was served with the mint julep, to help hold back the shaved ice of the drink. However, it doesn’t accomplish anything different than the other strainers and is less versatile, so I don’t recommend investing in this until you have the rest of your tools in your witch cocktail kit!

Mixing Glass

Mixing glasses allow you to chill and stir high proof alcoholic drinks that do not have citrus, such as manhattans (drinks with fruit juices are usually shaken). Made of weighted glass and with a lip for easy pouring, these are great for chilling higher proof alcoholic cocktails without the aeration that a shaken cocktail might get. These are often used in tandem with a bar spoon and julep strainer, although a hawthorne strainer works just as well.

• For Magical Mixology: When it comes to the witch kitchen, mixing in one of these is a great way to channel your inner potion witch, stirring your witch cocktail recipes as though a cauldron. Add intention as you stir: stir clockwise to bring things in, counter clockwise to cleanse.

Bar Spoon

An elongated spoon, bar spoons are versatile and allow for measuring, layering, and mixing ingredients. They are designed in a way that they twist effortlessly in your hand and can also measure on the fly—one American bar spoon usually holds about 5ml or 1 teaspoon of liquid, but this can vary from spoon to spoon. Some even have a built in muddler on the opposite end, for two tools in one! 

• For Magical Mixology: This kitchen witch tool is like your wand—the device you stir your witches brews with, and direct energy through metal. Stir clockwise to invoke or counter-clockwise to cleanse, using the bar spoon as your wand to direct your intention into the your witch cocktail recipe. 

Muddler

Muddlers help breakdown thicker fresh ingredients (such as cucumber or cherry) into smaller pieces, to better integrate their flavor and oils into your cocktail witch recipes. Otherwise, their flavor might not come across as well. I currently use this muddler and it works well, but my favorite is my long lost wooden muddler that was something like this, which helps to add a little more tree magic to your potables. They also have acacia and olive wood muddlers, for intentional magic.

• For Magical Mixology: When you have a chance to use a muddler in your magical kitchen witch bartending, use it break the energy down, just like you are breaking apart the ingredient. For example, you can visualize breaking down any barrier to your goals, or softening the individual aspects of what you wish to manifest, to infuse into one cosmic outcome. 

Citrus Juicer

It may not be the first thing you think of for magical bartending, but having a juicer is an essential kitchen witch tool. As a bartending kitchen witch, you work with the spirit and energy of fresh ingredients. Having fresh lemon or lime juice in a your potions or witch cocktail recipes makes all the difference in both flavor and magical energy. When bartending, you can use a small hand juicer like this, or an electric one. They have different sizes for each citrus, but I usually make the lemon sized one work for all. 

• For Magical Mixology: Citrus like lemon and lime is often cleansing in kitchen witchery. As you are squeezing your citrus, visualize cleansing away unwanted energy and bringing in positivity. 

Glassware

From Nic-N-Nora, to coupe and champagne glasses, the mixology world is filled with a plethora of glassware options. Sometimes, a glass might be chosen for visual appeal. Other times, the glass shape can highlight the aroma of the beverage, and stemmed glassware help prevent your hands from warming up a drink. 

• For Magical Mixology: In kitchen witchery, the glass is your chalice. It is the vessel that holds the magic of your potion or beverage, symbolic of blessings and how you nurture your spirit and body. Having a glass that is as enchanting as its contents, can help send you magical mind to an ethereal place. So never underestimate the power of the glass you are using when it comes to kitchen witch tools!

Silicon Ice Cube Molds

Do not discredit the power of your ice cubes, when it comes to magic or mixology! Freezer ice often has impurities, and will most definitely catch hold of the aromas of other food items around it. Ice makes 18-25% of your shaken cocktails and helps balance the flavor. The ice you put into you drink, can certainly impact the taste. I highly recommend making your own ice cubes in silicone ice cube trays with covers, using purified water. It makes all the difference.

• For Magical Mixology: Water is magic. It holds onto energy. Having crisp clean ice isn’t just about flavor—it can be about energy, too. You can freeze moon water into ice cubes, or even infuse the water with intention before freezing it. 

Cutting Board & Knife

Having a cutting board and good knife handy while you make cocktails and mocktails is a kitchen witch tool MUST have. Whether it is cutting up fresh ingredients to add to your cocktail, or crafting the perfect garnish, there is hardly a cocktail crafting session where I do not put these to use. The knife is especially important, as it helps craft peel twists for garnish, or for expressing their oils onto your drink. For a kitchen witch magical take, you can choose cutting board wood based on its magical meaning. I have a special olive wood board I save for special magical mixology sessions.

Channel Knife

If you want to have fancy, curled peel for your cosmos and lemon drops, then this peeler is a great tool. You can always hand cut a peel, but this bartending tool makes it easy to grab the perfectly shaped curled peel for those lemon or lime twists. The oils that express out from the citrus when using these are absolutely aromatic magic.

Zester/Grater

There’s nothing quite like fresh ground nutmeg or orange zest atop a cream cocktail. A grater allows you to freshly add spices, like nutmeg, atop a cocktail. This kitchen with supply is a great way to add fresh spice and flavor, and work with the magic of spices. A zester definitely isn’t necessary, and is only something to invest in when you want to go the extra mile.

• For Magical Mixology: when zesting or grating an ingredient, think of your intention and visualize the universe “raining” down that blessing into your life, just like that spice or citrus rains down upon your drink. 

Blender

For those that like frozen (midnight) margaritas, daiquiris, or juleps, a blender is a must. You can certainly crush ice in other ways, but if you are a fan of frozen drinks, having the right blender can make all the difference. Plus, it is a great eventual investment to add to your kitchen witch tools. My (very well loved) Ninja blender has provided great quality shaved ice for my recipes (and delicious, well-blended smoothies).

Mason Jars

What witch doesn’t love jars? Mason jars are the perfect kitchen witch tool to brew up your own syrups, infusions, tinctures and more. I have on hand a variety of mason jar sizes (4oz jars, 8oz, and 16oz jars) so that whether I want to make a bitters, syrups, or an infusion, I have something handy that will fit the task without taking extra space. Of course, you can also reuse pickle and other glass jars, too.

Syrup Bottles

As a kitchen witch, you might batch teas or syrups to add a touch of magic at a moment’s notice. Having bottles for pouring is useful for this, so that you don’t make a mess pouring drink syrups and teas you want to keep on hand in the fridge. P.S. if you want a delicious tea cocktail or mocktail, check out my chamomile calming moon mix. Yes, you can easily use teas in magical mixology!

Dropper Bottles for Bitters

If you plan to create your own tinctures or bitters, these dropper glass bottles are a great kitchen witch accessory to safely store them. Of course, if you’d like a vintage-looking bitters bottle, you can grab those here.

Magic of Mead

Enjoying a magical brew can be as a simple and easy as uncorking a bottle—as long as you understand its myth, meaning, and history. Start your magical mixology journey by learning about one of the world’s oldest beverages (mead) and how it’s packed with magic.

New Moon Margarita

Want to brew up a midnight margarita? Inspired by the moon in Cancer, this new Moon Margarita is an enchanting astrological brew and shows how adding a few ingredients, can craft a magical witches cocktail. 

Maple-Hazelnut Old Fashioned

Low on kitchen witch tools? Brew up an witches cocktail with just a glass, spoon, and measuring tool with this Maple-Hazelnut Old fashioned. It does call for some specific ingredients, but once you have them, you can whip up this witches brew in minutes!