Liardet - Dry non-alcoholic cocktails, cordials and clever concoctions

If you choose to invest in one piece of equipment, this is where Id recommend you spend your money. I prefer a two-piece, all-metal shaker, as not only is it handy for packing into a basket for outings, it chills the drink quickly and with less dilution than ice. However, if you dont own one, a large jam jar will do!

Many of these recipes require a strainer and a Hawthorne-style strainer is particularly useful. Make sure its well made and that its not loose where the handle meets the circle of the strainer. Alternatively, you could use a small fine-mesh sieve or a slotted spoon.

This is a long pestle for crushing the oils out of zest or leaves, and mixing in sugar. They come in a variety of materials but wood is preferable as it does a gentler job than metal even the end of a small rolling pin or wooden spoon would do.

This is a fun piece of equipment to have but certainly not essential. Its a very long-handled teaspoon, but a chopstick will do.

Fresh juice always makes such a difference in a dry drink, so Id highly recommend investing in a squeezer. I love a hinged, stainless-steel press. Theyre easy to use with limes, lemons and oranges, and release the citrus oils too.

Youll use a small, sharp knife and a handy chopping board all the time with these recipes. Just make sure that your knife is super sharp. I prefer using a Y-peeler, as it can also make lovely wide ribbons of whatever you need.

At home you dont need a strict bar measure, but its useful to have to hand something thats consistent. I use a small, glass measuring cup that has both fluid ounces and millilitres marked on the side. Tablespoon and teaspoon measures are handy to have too.

If youre going to be experimenting with and exploring juices, a centrifugal juicer is a perfectly adequate and not-too-expensive piece of equipment. From experience, Id recommend finding one thats easy to take apart to clean.

A blender of some sort is really useful it could be a jug, NutriBullet or hand-held stick. I recently splashed out on a really powerful one and havent looked back. It can whip up a frozen drink, crush ice or coffee beans, and make nut milk with ease, plus its also fabulous for soup-making.

If you like making sparkling drinks, this machine can save you a lot of time and money in the long run. The end result doesnt necessarily replace a good-quality sparkling mineral water, but it can add instant fizz to any drink.

A medium-size, thick glass jug, which can hold the right amount of ice, is all you need. A handle will ensure the drink stays as cool as possible.