You’ve been hearing about this “cocktail craze” or have been to a bar that serves amazing cocktails, and you want to start making them at home but perhaps don’t even know where to start. Don’t panic, making cocktails is a lot easier than it looks. If you’ve ever baked cookies, you’ve already done something more complicated than making a cocktail. Like baking, to make a good cocktail you’re going to need the right tools. In this series, I am going to cover all the basics of what you’ll need.

We start off with perhaps the most important tool for a home bar, a jigger, which is basically a fancy way of saying a measuring cup for booze. Good cocktails are all about balance, and you get that balance by measuring your ingredients. If you get only one tool for your bar, it should be a jigger.

There are a variety of jiggers you can purchase, or even alternative tools that can be used to measure out spirits for your cocktails. Most cocktail recipes refer to measurements in ounces and generally in increments of 1/4-1/2 ounce. Many great cocktails are only 3 or 4 ounces in total, so we’re not talking about a ton of liquid here.

Jiggers don’t need to be fancy and you don’t have to use the same ones you see in bars. In a pinch, I’ve even used measuring cups and spoons.

Here are a few basic ones to choose from:

OXO Steel Double Jigger
Sold at most home goods stores (like Target or Amazon), this jigger looks like the one used in most bars but it’s been customized to enable you to use it to measure a lot of different amounts. Bars typically use a pair of jiggers and this combines those into one. It may take a little while to get used to working with the OXO jigger, but once you do it’s good for making several drinks fast.

Uber Bartools Projig
This is a little more expensive of an option, but I like working with it a little better. It’s also what I use in my own personal bar. This two-sided jigger resembles the classic jigger, but each side has little pocketed areas for measuring different amounts. I find the Uber Pro Jig to be very easy to use and it can also be good for making a number of drinks fast.

OXO Stainless Steel Mini Angled Measuring Cup
The stainless steel version of OXO’s mini measuring cup is a little hard to find (your best bet is to get it direct from OXO) but it’s a favorite of many of the top craft bartenders.  This is more like a traditional measuring cup, and so for some it may feel more comfortable than using a more classic jigger. The advantage to these is they are easier to use when squeezing fresh citrus (an essential element in great drinks).

No matter which you chose, having a good jigger that you are comfortable with makes a big difference when you make cocktails.

Next in the series: Shakers