It has been said that a bartenders best friends are the bar accessories that he uses (second only to his loyal customers, of course). Simply put, a bartender could not do much of his job without them. What makes bar accessories so valuable is the way they make the harried bartenders job a bit easier. Here is a list of the top 10 bar accessories that a bartender couldnt live without.

Bar Accessory #10: The serving glass. Yes, shocking as it may be, without the serving glass, the bartender would wipe up an awful lot of alcohol from the floor, being that without serving glasses, everyone would have to take turns looking at the ceiling under a keg spout to drink. Serving glasses are much nicer and extremely cost effective.

Bar Accessory #9: The mixing tin. The mixing tin is bigger than the serving glasses (though smaller than the keg, see Accessory #10) to allow for the mixing and shaking and straining of the drinks. Being able to use a mixing tin to mix instead of using the serving glass makes nice, neat drinks, and happy patrons to boot.

Bar Accessory #8: The towel. With the fast pace that bartenders have to operate under, a towel is one of the most indispensible bar accessories. Also, as the night grows late, bartenders may become not the only ones to spill drinks here and there see Accessory #10 above.

Bar Accessory #7: The corkscrew. Whether it be for synthetic corks or natural corks, the corkscrew opens the door to the liquor literally. Without the corkscrew, corks might have to be pushed into the bottle to make the booze accessible, and lets face it, once there is a cork floating in the bottle, its all over.

Bar Accessory #6: The cutting board and knife. This one may seem out of place to non bartenders, but often for a drinker, a highlight of a drink is the delicious slice of fruit that sits on the edge of the serving glass. As much as people love their fruit on the edge of the glass, it would probably somehow lose some of its effect if an entire uncut lemon was smashed into the drink (insert puckered lips here).

Bar Accessory #5: Holders. Whether they are napkin holders, stirrer holders, or condiment holders, when it comes to bar accessories, bartenders need all the help they can get holding things. They only have two hands, you know.

Bar Accessory #4: The salt & sugar rimmer. It is another great one of the bar accessories that makes doing the little jobs easier. Bartenders strive for perfection, and quick perfection, at that.

Bar Accessory #3: The pour spout. No bartender has time all the time to slowly and meticulously pour drinks from the bottles to the glasses. Pour spouts are bar accessories that again save time and reduce clean up and stress.

Bar Accessory #2: Pourers. Whether they are plastic pourers or store and pour containers, to be a great bartender, you just gotta pour stuff. Bar accessories that help pouring help the bartender keep his focus on the drink instead of on not spilling and splashing or missing the cup!

And the #1 bar accessory that no bartender should be without is the strainer. The glorious strainer keeping fruit pits and chunks of ice out of smooth drinks for years. The strainer allows the bartender to create the perfectly smooth alcoholic beverage every time, which makes the beloved drinkers happy, not swallowing the hard stuff as they enjoy their spirits.

Bar accessories, both traditional and modern, prove to be invaluable to the bartenders that work so hard to serve the rest of us the perfect drink. From napkins to rimmers to strainers, these are just a few of the many bar accessories that no bartender should (or could) do his job without. So the next time you are out for a drink, looking at the goodies that are on the shelf at the bar, take a look at all of the little gizmos and utensils that are behind the bar, and thank your friendly bartender for using such great little things to make you your favorite good for the soul drink.