ALL THE EQUIPMENT YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED FOR VACATION COCKTAILS

From Liquor.com:

Vacations, particularly tropical ones, provide us with a unique opportunity to break away from the constant stresses of daily life while exploring all the beauty of a foreign locale. Whether you’re windsurfing in Tahiti or going full-on “no shoes, no shirt, no problem” in the Bahamas, there’s something about hopping a flight that seems to allow cares to melt away.

Sometimes, though, these locations are a little, well, lacking in the cocktail department. That’s why you should be prepared to take matters into your own hands. If you’re ready to step up your drink-nerd status to a whole different level, take the five recommendations of the bartenders below, and stuff these beloved items (and maybe the perennial favorite, the Coco Jack) into your suitcase.

1: CORE, SLICE, SIP, REPEAT

Sierra Kirk (bartender, Hale Pele, Portland, Ore.): “One of my favorite tools I use on a daily basis is my ratcheting pineapple corer and slicer. It’s effortless to use, and you get perfect pineapple rings. Slice off the top, extract the rings, cut out the core and put some notches in the top for straws, and you have the perfect tropical vacation drinking vessel!”

2: GIVE IT A TIGHT SQUEEZE

Ryan Kuntz (lead bartender, Noble Experiment, San Diego): “I recently visited Cuba, where there were citrus trees all over the island, but none of the bars used fresh juice in their recipes. I would bring a hand juicer to make fresh tropical cocktails.”

3: PEEL FOR FRESHNESS

Gui Jaroschy (lead bartender, The Broken Shaker, Miami): “The one tool to take to a tropical island would be an eight-inch chef’s knife. The beauty of tropical fruit is that it only needs very minimum preparation. Nothing beats the natural freshness of the fruit that falls right off the tree. You may only need to peel it and it's ready to eat, drink and infuse.”

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