English Mixologist Charlotte Voisey on How to Elevate Your Home Bar

Sometimes, no matter how smart, connected, and well-resourced you are, you simply need an expert—and not just any expert, but the rarefied insider whom other specialists call when they need help. Luckily Robb Report has our own highly curated directory of heavy hitters across categories: the Masters of Luxury. This month, it’s Charlotte Voisey. She’s a legend among bartenders—a pioneering female barkeep who was part of the cocktail-revival scene in late-1990s London before moving stateside to become a roving brand ambassador for William Grant & Sons. Two years ago, Voisey was hired as executive director of Tales of the Cocktail, the industry’s answer to the Oscars and the Olympics, held every July in New Orleans with events around the world during the rest of the year. Have a conundrum you’d like to see solved? Email askrobb@robbreport.com. The Expert Name: Charlotte Voisey Occupation: Cocktail evangelist HQ: New York, N.Y., and New Orleans, La. Specialty: Shaking, stirring, and anything in between The Big Question I regularly host events at my house and make a mean martini. How can I improve my at-home bar so it’s pro-level slick? The aesthetics are entirely subjective, of course, so we’ll leave that entirely to you. But whether you’re an enthusiast or simply want to ensure that the staff you hire for your next party can churn out top-tier drinks, devise the same functional setup for any at-home bar. Plumbed-in, fixed-location sites will operate far better, though you can add a cocktail cart for impromptu service outside if you wish. One key gizmo no one should mix a drink without: Thrill International’s glassware chiller. “You put your glass upside down in it, and it does a James Bond number,” Voisey says. “It gives you a little bit of what looks like liquid smoke, and it lights up, and all of a sudden your martini glass is frozen. Because if you’ve got a home bar, you might not have space for a freezer.” Separated ice wells, which can hold ice of various sizes earmarked for different uses, are vital, too: one-inch cubes for shaking and tall drinks, plus pebble ice for tiki drinks and mojitos. The Quiet One blender from Vitamix is aptly named. “There’s nothing more uncouth than sitting at a gorgeous bar, and then somebody puts the blender on, and all conversations are suspended for 30 seconds.” Don’t forget refrigerated drawers from Perlick, which Voisey calls the Rolls-Royce of bar tools—they’ll stop garnishes from wilting in the heat if they’re premade. And, keep a Barfly citrus juicer on hand to squeeze lemons and limes on the spot. “The fresher, the better.” For the ultimate flex, add a Coravin or similar for any vermouths or liqueurs that will readily spoil once opened and unrefrigerated. “It’s a bit of a show-off… but if you and your guests like martinis, it’s definitely something to lean into.” How to instantly impress a new bartender? I think you can order a specific drink. So rather than saying “I’ll have a martini,” you could order your martini recipe, like a two-to-one with a twist, or you might order a Vesper martini. Something specific that’s not too obnoxious and out of the box. But just a little something that shows I know what I like, I like what I know. What are three classic cocktails that always land? A French 75 is such a crowd-pleaser, as well as an old-fashioned or a Manhattan for that spirit-forward whisky drinker, plus something shaken like a daiquiri. The cocktail books to have on hand that signal you’re serious about mixology? The Craft of the Cocktail by Dale DeGroff, The Craft Cocktail Party: Delicious Drinks for Every Occasion by Julie Reiner (which is all about home bartending), and Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em by Neal Bodenheimer. Glassware that everyone should have in their home bar but doesn’t? The Nick & Nora—which is a martini glass of sorts, but it’s just a beautiful shape that all bars now have, and it’s one of those that doesn’t look like it’s going to make a difference, but if you know, you know. Either | Or The bitter flavor profile perfectly prepares the palate for food. It’s where the magic happens—and the best eavesdropping. Everyone wants to be Italian. They’re slightly easier to make, therefore they’re not going to be terribly wrong. . . . A dash in your cocktail won’t spoil everything. When you fall in love with a cocktail, you want to go back and have that cocktail again at that bar. It literally has it all: history, impressive innovation, and creativity. There’s a heritage and legacy, and you’re going to bump into more interesting people. The essential oils on top of the martini give an extra brightness.