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Bar equipment covers the underbar shells, ice bins, glass washers, speed rails, draft systems, and CO2/nitrogen handling that the bartender actually touches every shift. You spec it during buildout and replace pieces as they wear or as the cocktail program changes. NuCO2 leases run $50-$200/month and a single bag-in-box of soda yields about 1,280 cocktails at 3 oz of mixer, which is the math that determines whether post-mix beats bottled for your venue.
Bar equipment is distinct from glassware + dispensing — it's the underbar foundation: ice bins + drainboards + glass rinsers + speed rails + sinks + cocktail stations + glass-frosters + bar-mat + tools. Get the underbar right and the bartender works at 60+ drinks per hour at peak; get it wrong and your bar bottlenecks.
Brand short list. NYC bar equipment leader: Perlick (Milwaukee · the underbar standard since 1917) + Krowne Metal (mid-tier alt) + Eagle Group (value tier) + Glastender. Tools: Cocktail Kingdom (Greg Boehm-spec NYC craft bartender tools — see Bar Supply & Glassware guide). Speed rails + ice bins + glass rinsers: Perlick + Krowne dominant. Glass-froster premium: Perlick TS24 (sub-zero glass-froster) at the cocktail-bar premium tier.
NYC-specific traps: Perlick Tobin Ellis Cocktail Station = the configurable competition-tier bartender station (covered in Beverage Dispensing guide). Bar mat must go through warewasher nightly (DOH 2024 inspector bulletin specifically calls out bar-mat soil score signaling). Glass-rinser at 0.5 GPM standard — under-spec (1 GPM) wastes water + slows throughput.
Perlick speed rail + cocktail-mixing station. 4-12 ft underbar build.
90-200 lb ice-bin capacity · drainboard + glass-rinser integration. Service-bar standard.
Sub-zero glass-froster + bar-back display. Cocktail-bar premium tier.
Cocktail Kingdom Boehm tool set. Jiggers + shakers + strainers + spoons.
| Venue | Recommended setup | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cocktail bar (40 seats) | Perlick Tobin Ellis station + ice bin + 2 glass-frosters + Cocktail Kingdom tool set | $28K-$55K initial · $2.5K-$5K/yr |
| Sports bar / brewpub (200 seats) | Krowne underbar + 4 ice bins + drainboards + Mercer Barfly tools | $25K-$60K initial |
| Hotel bar program | Perlick TS24 glass-froster + custom Tobin Ellis station + Boehm-spec tools | $45K-$120K initial |
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