Bar mat

Measure your pouring station first, not your whole bar. Most bartenders work on a strip less than half a metre wide, and that is exactly where the classic 44x24 cm bar runner or the 30x45 cm rubber mat fits. If you work with both hands side by side, the 60x20 cm mat makes more sense because it follows the width instead of the depth. For the narrow strip right in front of the tap there are long mats of 8x60 cm and 30x9 cm that you link together until you have the length you need. If you want to cover a whole counter or drip zone, cut your own to size from a roll of 500 by 61 cm, available in black and clear. There are also square glass mats of 33x33 cm and 30x20 cm, meant for letting clean glasses drain next to the glass rinser.

Position the mat so that the edge facing you sits directly under your pouring hand. Everything you spill while building a Negroni then stays inside the mat instead of on your clean counter. If you build cocktails in the glass, place the glass in the middle of the mat rather than on the edge, because that is where it tips while you stir. A second mat next to the first is no luxury: you build on one and set out whatever comes from the fridge on the other. When muddling for a Mojito the rubber also absorbs the impact, which spares the base of your glass. Empty the mat before the puddle runs over the edge, because full is full.

Rubber is easy to clean, but it pays to do it daily. Sugar from liqueurs and syrups turns sticky as soon as it dries, and then the mat clings to your counter instead of protecting it. Lift the mat after closing time, rinse it under the tap and let it dry on its side so no water is left standing underneath. Most models can go in the dishwasher too, provided they fit in the bottom rack and you avoid a high-temperature programme: too much heat makes rubber go limp and lose its grip.

If you also want to protect the spot where you set down your trays, take a look at the non-slip mats and tray mats. For the run-off under the tap, the drip trays are ready and waiting. The tools that end up on the mat can be found with the cocktail shakers, and the page on bar tools explains how those parts work together. If you are looking for glasses that stand up to daily use, the stacking glasses are a logical starting point.