I became 21 years old during the epidemic along with most of my close pals. Since we couldn't go to bars, we decided to do monthly themed cocktail clubs where we selected beverages, dressed up, and played board games. I don't have a ton of context, but I think it was considerably more entertaining than going out to clubs - and significantly cheaper. Plus, now we all know what kind of cocktails we favor when we do go out.
If you're ready to go deep into cocktail creation this summer, check out our list of other home-bar needs, the finest cocktail recipe books, and our review of a shatterproof outdoor cocktail glass.
Here is everything we used to build our cocktail club and make the most of turning 21 years old at home.
1. Mixology & Craft Bartender Kit
One of my roommates' mom likes sending her things in the mail so we were excited to receive this stunning gold cocktail shaker set. Some of our best (and worse) cocktails were concocted using all the wonderful accessories associated to this package.
If you just need a shaker, Insider tested seven to identify the best cocktail shakers for flawlessly mixed drinks.
Buy: Mixology & Craft Bartender Kit
2. Mrs. Lilien's Cocktail Swatchbook
Mrs. Lilien's Cocktail Swatchbook is our go-to cocktail book for creative concoctions. Using the recipes from this book, we scored each drink from 1-10 based on taste, texture, and overall experience. While we didn't adore every recipe, we had a pleasure trying all the creations.
Buy: Mrs. Lilien's Cocktail Swatchbook
3. SMIRLY Cheese Board and Knife Set
On occasion, we would pull out this gorgeous wooden board and decorate it with salami, cheese, olives, and pepper jelly for a full-blown charcuterie board. We produced gorgeous buffets of appetizers to match our themes and cocktails.
Buy: SMIRLY Cheese Board and Knife Set
4. Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Camera
After the drinks were mixed, we would snap a Polaroid photo to capture the theme and the cocktails of the evening. It was a priceless way to honor a year's worth of cocktail clubs. We ended our 12-month lease with nearly 40 polaroid photographs.
Buy: Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Camera
5. Catan Board Game
Catan would frequently make its way out of the game cabinet after we finished assessing the cocktails. Anyone who has played Catan knows how much fun it is, but also how competitive it can be — or perhaps it's just my circle of pals. In any case, it was always a good way to conclude the night.
Buy: Catan Board Game
6. W&P Craft Cocktail Syrup Set
This is a great present idea, especially for a buddy who seems to have everything and doesn't need anything. It's a great housewarming gift or to bring to dinner instead of a bottle of wine or flowers.
My friends raved over how simple it was to create the cocktails and how nice the bottles looked at the bar.
Buy: W&P Craft Cocktail Syrup Set
7. Elixir Glassware Crystal Wine Glasses
The product is fantastic in and of itself. Gorgeous spectacles. It would make a wonderful present.
My only gripe is that the package has a lot of fingerprints on it. The glasses were in good shape, although one had evidently been unwrapped, since it was covered in hair and fingerprints. In the middle of a pandemic, I'm sick of receiving items from Amazon that are clearly not cleaned. This isn't the first time a package like this has appeared. It's revolting. I can clean the glasses, but be aware that Amazon is clearly not taking any additional measures to ensure cleanliness or sanitization.
Buy: Elixir Glassware Crystal Wine Glasses
