Barware

Buying barware

A bar runs on speed and consistency, and its kit reflects that. Good barware is about the right glass for every drink, tools that let a bartender build a round without hunting, and cooling that keeps up on a Saturday night.

Glassware is the front line. Match the glass to the serve, highball, rocks, wine, coupe, pint, and buy toughened where glasses are washed hard and handled fast, because a broken glass is lost stock and a safety job behind the bar. Under the counter, bottle coolers and back-bar fridges keep product cold and to hand, and a good ice machine feeds the whole operation.

Two things a busy bar cannot do without. Enough glass in circulation so you are never waiting on the washer at peak, which usually means several times your seating in each key glass. And a complete set of bar tools at each station, because a bartender reaching for a shared jigger is a bartender who is slow.

Barware: common questions

Should bar glasses be toughened?

For a busy bar, yes. Toughened glass resists thermal shock from the glasswasher and breaks into smaller, less dangerous pieces, which matters where glasses are handled at pace and dropped occasionally. For a cocktail or fine-dining bar where presentation leads and glasses are handled gently, untoughened glass looks better and is fine.

How many glasses should a bar stock?

A common rule is three to four times the number you can serve at once, per key glass type, so clean glasses are always coming through the wash at peak. Running short on glassware at the busiest hour is one of the most common and avoidable bar bottlenecks, so err on the generous side for your top sellers.

What is the difference between a bottle cooler and a back-bar fridge?

A bottle cooler is a low, under-counter fridge, often with sliding tops, built to hold bottles and cans at serving temperature right where the bartender stands. A back-bar fridge is usually a glass-fronted display unit that keeps product cold and shows it off. Most bars use coolers for working stock and back-bar fridges for display and premium lines.

What ice does a cocktail bar need?

Cocktails generally want dense, slow-melting ice: large cubes for spirits over ice, standard cubes for shaking and building, and sometimes crushed for specific serves. Dense ice chills without watering the drink down as fast, which matters for a well-made cocktail. Size the machine for your busiest service, because a cocktail bar gets through ice quickly.

What tools does each bar station need?

At minimum: a jigger for measuring, a shaker and strainer, a bar spoon, a muddler, speed pourers and a bottle opener, plus a board and knife for garnishes. Kit out each station fully so bartenders are not sharing, because shared tools are the hidden cause of a slow bar at peak.

How quickly can you deliver barware?

Popular glassware and bar tools we hold in our own warehouse go next working day when ordered before the cut-off. Coolers and larger equipment may be ordered in, so we will confirm the lead time before you commit.