The 6 Best Bar Sets for Elevated Cocktail-Making of 2024

Building a barware collection at home is no small undertaking. There are various styles of shakers and jiggers to choose from, bar spoons at all different lengths, strainers for this and that, and much more (not to mention the storage and display options to consider). Whether shopping for yourself or a gift, opting for a set can make things easier than designing a collection from scratch.

"Bar sets are a great way to get all the essential bar tools in one convenient package," says Camille Wilson, the creative force behind The Cocktail Snob. A great set can be especially helpful for beginners, she notes, and going this route can be a smart move from a value perspective. According to Wilson, it’s also a crowd-pleaser when it comes to gifting.

You'll want to consider how you'll use the sets, what your budget is, and how important the materials themselves are, too, when determining which is right for your needs.

The Rundown

Best Overall:

Barillio Elite 23-Piece Bartender Kit at Amazon ($37)

Jump to Review

Best for Beginners:

Modern Mixology Mixology Bartender Kit at Amazon (See Price)

Jump to Review

Best for Travel:

W&P Design Cocktail Canteen at Amazon ($37)

Jump to Review

Best Design:

Picnic Time Complete Home Bar Set at Food52 ($525)

Jump to Review

Best Minimalist:

Pottery Barn 5-Piece Bar Tool Set at Pottery Barn ($69)

Jump to Review

Best Splurge:

Williams Sonoma Encore Bar Tools Set and Cocktail Shaker at Williams-Sonoma ($190)

Jump to Review

Best Overall

Barillio Elite 23-Piece Bartender Kit

Amazon

View On Amazon $37

Pros

Comprehensive kit
Affordable price
Quality construction

Cons

Stand isn't as stable as it could be

If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop, Barillio’s 23-piece kit has everything you could possibly need, and probably more, which may come in handy if you're really into making cocktails or you fall in love with the process as a result of this kit.

This kit is a great option if you’re starting from scratch or if you just want to have extra tools on hand. The set includes everything you need to make cocktails, from a jigger, muddler, bar spoon, and cocktail shaker. A wine key is included, along with plenty of other items you didn't know you needed. Set it all up for display on the included stand, or carry it with you in the velvet bag. The included book is a nice touch. One thing we noticed, however, is that the stand could be a little bit more stable.

What's Included: Jigger, muddler, bar spoon, Hawthorne strainer, tongs, wine key, three universal speed pours (plus caps and brushes), two bottle stoppers, cocktail shaker, bamboo stand, velvet carrying bag and recipe booklet | Material: Stainless steel with silver, black, copper, or gold finish | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes, but only the silver finish

Best for Beginners

Modern Mixology Mixology Bartender Kit

Amazon

View On Amazon

Pros

Contains all the basics
Three-year warranty
Recipe book included

Cons

No muddler

For the beginner bartenders out there, Wilson has a few words of wisdom: “One thing to note is that there's no universal set—every set has different tools. But I think novice home bartenders should look for a set with a jigger, cocktail shaker, muddler, and bar spoon at minimum.” According to Wilson, these are the essentials as they’re bound to get the most use, and durability is key.

If you’re just starting out, follow Wilson’s lead by going with this quality collection of basics from Modern Mixology, which includes all of the above minus the muddler (a tool you can improvise with something you have at home). The spoon is on the smaller side, which can make stirring cocktails tricky depending on the mixing vessel, but the set makes up for it with a sturdy shaker. In addition, this set comes with tongs, a bottle opener, a wooden stand, a recipe booklet, and a three-year warranty.

The recipe book is a real show-stopper, featuring 20 recipe cards alongside illustrated images of the drinks. The manufacturer says this kit's inclusions are dishwasher safe, but you'll want to just wipe down the wooden stand.

What's Included: Cocktail shaker, jigger, muddler, strainer, bar spoon, tongs, bottle opener, wooden stand, and recipe booklet | Material: Stainless steel | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Modern Mixology — Liquor.com / Sarah Freeman

Best for Travel

W&P Design Cocktail Canteen

W&P design

View On Amazon $37

Pros

TSA-compliant
Packs up easily
Shaker doubles as insulated thermos

Cons

Strainer isn't included
Hand wash only

"I'm really particular about my bar tools, so I bought all my tools individually and built a collection over the years—but if I could go back and do it all again, I would definitely invest in a nice matching set,” says Wilson. “One set I've been eyeing is the Cocktail Canteen from W&P Design. It's cool because it's made for bringing your bar tools with you on the go and comes in a cute canteen (that doubles as a shaker) to carry all your tools.”

On your next trip, bring this compact set along for a test run; it packs up easily. Whether you’re shaking or stirring, you’ll definitely be putting the funnel, collapsible jigger, expandable bar spoon, and dropper bottle to use. This set is TSA-compliant for good measure. If you’re looking at it and thinking, “But where’s the shaker?” never fear. The carrier doubles as a shaker and is also an insulated thermos.

One thing it is missing is a strainer—the spoon can be used in a pinch. It also comes with a peeler that does double duty as a bottle opener; however, the peeler side isn't terribly effective in practice. When considering what this set can do—get through the travel process seamlessly and compactly—the price is hard to beat, even absent a strainer. Just make sure you hand wash these items, as they aren't dishwasher safe.

What's Included: Funnel, collapsible jigger, expandable bar spoon, dropper bottle, and peeler/bottle opener | Materials: Stainless steel, glass | Dishwasher-Safe: No

Cocktail Canteen — Liquor.com / Sarah Freeman

Best Design

Picnic Time Complete Home Bar Set

Courtesy of Food52

View On Food52 $525

Pros

Stunning design
High quality tools
Lifetime guarantee

Cons

Very expensive

Picnic Time’s Complete Home Bar Set is basically a bar-in-a-box. The stunning wood case contains all of the essentials and then some—19, to be exact. Other than giving you pretty much everything you could need to stock your home bar, minus the alcohol, the box itself, made of acacia wood, is attractive and closes up for easy and inconspicuous storage. The set comes with a lifetime guarantee.

That’s the good news. While it is beautifully designed, the strainer was defective upon arrival, which suggests a quality control issue. The metal knob on the box itself had also somehow been sheared clean in half. If you’re looking for an all-in-one option, you may be able to look past the flaws. The set comes with a lifetime guarantee—which is helpful when things like this happen.

What's Included: Acacia wood box, cocktail sticks and stick caddy, beaker-style mixing glass, stainless steel bar spoon, two-piece Boston shaker, a Hawthorne strainer, jigger, wine key, ice bucket, marble cutting board, tongs, a muddler, paring knife, and bottle opener | Materials: Glass, marble, stainless steel | Dishwasher-Safe: Hand wash tools; glasses are dishwasher safe, top rack only; Wipe case with damp cloth only.

Related: The Best Cocktail Glasses

Picnic Time — Liquor.com / Sarah Freeman

Best Minimalist

Pottery Barn 5-Piece Bar Tool Set

Pottery Barn

View On Pottery Barn $69

Pros

Unique design
Made in Fair Trade certified factory
High quality tools

Cons

Not comprehensive
More expensive

The eye-catching minimalism of this set just begs to be displayed. We love how the tools hang upside down on the stand, and are easy to grab when it's time to make cocktails. It's also a bit of a space-saver in terms of design; it's ideal for someone without a lot of storage space.

Items included are 1 and 2-ounce jigger cups, a strainer, a spoon, a bottle opener, and the holder. The set is made from electroplated stainless steel and aluminum and comes in antique gold and blackened bronze finishes. (It's hard to choose which one's prettier!) We also like the sustainability aspect of this; the product is made in a Fair Trade-certified factory. Its attractive design makes it a great candidate for gift-giving, too.

What's Included: 1 and 2-ounce jigger cups, strainer, spoon and bottle opener, and holder | Materials: Electroplated stainless steel and aluminum with antique gold or blackened bronze finish | Dishwasher-Safe: No

Best Splurge

Williams Sonoma Encore Bar Tools Set and Cocktail Shaker

Williams Sonoma

View On Williams-Sonoma $190

Beautiful items
Well made
Stand is compact

Pricey
Not comprehensive

This beautiful and classy-looking set is the ultimate splurge item. With a double-wall cocktail shaker, strainer, bottle opener, ice tongs, stirring spoon, and a jigger, it offers some key items you—or a loved one for whom you purchase this set—would need.

You'll likely want other items at some point, but this set, which comes in stainless steel or antique brass, is a gorgeous way to begin. There's a silicone shield between the lid and the shaker to prevent leaks, and the jigger's molded plastic interior contains helpful markings for mixing drinks.

What's Included: Double wall cocktail shaker, strainer, bottle opener, ice tongs, stirring spoon, double-sided jigger, and stand | Materials: Stainless steel, antique brass | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Related: The Best Bartender Gifts

Final Verdict

The Barillio Elite 23-piece Bartending Kit takes the top spot overall for its price, quality, and inclusions; you've got just about everything you need except the alcohol. For a total splurge, the Williams-Sonoma Encore Bar Tools Set and Cocktail Shaker is a beautiful and high-quality set.

What to Look For in a Bar Set

Use

This might sound a little strange, but what kind of use do you want to get out of a kit? Do you want to use it every day? Or are you a once-in-a-while cocktail maker? Maybe you're looking for a gift for someone else, in which case, you'll want something that's a little more on the splurge side, made from higher-quality materials.

Budget

Consider how much you want to spend. A decent home bartending kit can be purchased for under $50, but if you're looking for something really loaded and comprehensive, you might end up spending a little more. Higher quality materials will tend to cost more, too, and the sorts of sets that are designed as gifts will fall into a different price structure, too. But you can definitely get something worthwhile for well under $100.

Materials

A majority of the materials used for these kits are stainless steel, but some have other types of finishes, such as rose gold or copper plating, for example. The materials are part form (i.e., the design), and part function, too, so consider if one is more important than the other. You might want a set that combines the best of all worlds; your budget, use, and materials.

FAQs

What should every home bartending kit include?

Home kits for bartending should include basics such as bottle openers and corkscrews. Jiggers, shakers, and strainers are definitely useful, too. Mixing glasses are another way to put cocktails together and can be helpful if you're making a batch of a particular drink. Ice makers and molds can elevate your cocktail game, too. Cutting boards, peelers, and juicers enable you to make freshly squeezed juices for drinks, along with garnishes.

What is the most widely used essential equipment for a bartender?

Without a doubt, it's the bar spoon. In addition to stirring cocktails, you can use them for measuring ingredients and layering drinks, too.

Can bartending be self-taught?

It absolutely can be self-taught. There's a lot you can learn by reading books, mixing drinks up on your own, and watching videos. Taking classes for bartending, however, tends to be more structured and comprehensive than what you might do on your own.

Why Trust Liquor.com?

Céline Bossart has been covering the wine and spirits industries for the past seven years, and with that, she’s shaken and stirred a fair amount of cocktails using all kinds of different tools.

Read Next: The Best Stemless Wine Glasses