The Best Bar Tools and Glasses to Make You the King of Aperitivo Hour

It’s 4:59 p.m. The bottle of Campari on your home bar (or desk) is glistening in the sun. You smash the play button on your favorite breezy pop album and the tunes of Carly Rae Jepsen or Kacey Musgraves start flowing around you. You close your laptop and take a deep breath. Maybe it’s Friday. Maybe it’s Tuesday. Maybe it’s actually 2 p.m. It’s time for a drink. Aperitivo hour is upon you. 

You have a couple options here. You could roll out to your favorite local happy hour, where you’ll be greeted with a Super Big Gulp-sized Aperol spritz and some wings (and there’s definitely a correct moment for this); you also could hit the corner bar, where an indifferent bartender will sling you a mediocre Negroni while you listen to The Replacements (also a great option… sometimes). But neither of those things are going to happen today, because you’ve had the foresight to stock up on your favorite spirits and mixers, clean the couple bar tools you need, and scrub that cutting board. Slice that orange, baby, because you’re going to mainline Americanos (the cocktail) or Ghia and sodas while rewatching Party Down (or, you know, reading a nice book). 

To be clear: Staying in doesn’t have to mean boring; in fact, it can be the opposite. Use this opportunity to pamper yourself, to be luxurious. Use a beautiful cutting board. Sip out of a nice glass. If you have guests, serve them pistachios in nice bowls instead of out of the bag. Honestly, there’s nothing better than reaching the point in life where you can really enjoy preparing and nursing a nice drink and snack. Because you deserve it. Here are a couple of our favorite options to make that aperitivo hour—whenever it is—the most decadent part of your day. 

A beautiful set with everything you need

Material just released a gorgeous aperitivo set complete with a sexy cutting board, a killer paring knife, and really neat peeler. All you’ll need is the vermouth and some ice.

Some cute bowls for nuts and olives

These adorable little bowls from pottery/tableware brands East Fork and Year & Day are perfect for small bites. You don’t need to eat the whole thing of hummus (but if you do, we won’t judge you).

Sip in style

Fun glasses are something every kitchen should have. You deserve it. Time to stop drinking gin and tonics out of that plastic pint glass you got 15 years ago at your hometown’s sports bar. 

Peel for real

Peelers exist for a reason. Sure, you can cut a lemon or orange garnish with your chef’s knife or, worse, a table knife, but for less than $10, you should own a professional-quality peeler.

A great paring knife

Listen, nobody’s impressed with the shittily cut lime wedge you sheepishly dunked in their drink. Cut with confidence using a high quality paring knife. You can get a great one at any price.

An appropriate cutting board

We get it, you don’t want to break out the Boos Block to cut an orange garnish and stir a spritz. That said, nobody wants to see you palm that fruit like a daredevil, either (especially before it goes into something they’re about to drink). Pick up a great cutting board that’s easy to clean and doesn’t take up much space. This is one of our favorites.

Drink and munch in style. You deserve it.

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The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.