Hey there! In the present day, we’re speaking all about cocktail strainers: The differing types, what they’re for, and easy methods to use them. They’re the cocktail shaker’s finest buddy and are tremendous necessary in your mixology journey, so let’s discover this important device.
A cocktail strainer is a will need to have for any house bar or skilled enterprise that mixes and serves drinks. Whether or not you’re a profession bartender or hobbyist, figuring out the totally different strainers and easy methods to use them is essential in creating the smoothest drinks.
There are 3 main forms of cocktail strainers, every working with the opposite gear in your bar device equipment in particular methods.
Desk of Contents:
What’s a Hawthorne Strainer?
The commonest kind of strainer known as a Hawthorne. You’ll discover this indispensable device in just about any and all skilled bar settings; when you use a Boston shaker, mixing glass, or pint glass for mixing up drinks, you’ll completely want one in your house bar as properly.
A Hawthorne strainer is (sometimes) chrome steel and has a deal with that leads as much as a flat, spherical plate with a number of holes alongside the highest. Above the holes sits a detachable spherical coil n a semi-circle, which catches shards of ice and chunks of fruit.
The model that we make right here at A Bar Above has an ergonomic deal with for much less hand pressure, is sturdy sufficient to face as much as a busy bar, and options tightly-coiled springs (some are actually free, that means they don’t catch a lot!).
As a result of it’s one piece with out welds, the easy design received’t break or rust. Plus, it is available in a number of totally different colours– stunning and sensible!
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Different Advantages of the Hawthorne Strainer
There are a whole lot of causes the Hawthorne is so common– it’s straightforward to make use of in quite a lot of vessels. Listed here are some causes we actually find it irresistible:
Ergonomic Design
When you endure from any sort of hand damage or ailment like arthritis, then you understand how painful it may be to make use of poorly-made gear together with your palms all day lengthy. With easy edges and a cushty grip, the patented design of this strainer could have you pouring completed cocktails comfortably and with ease.
Versatile
The actually cool factor about this blended drink strainer is that it’s sized to suit over any customary cocktail shaker tin (Boston model), pint glass, or mixing glass in the marketplace. (Extra on straining from mixing glasses in a minute).
Like I discussed earlier than, the coils are tight, which additionally means you possibly can match the strainer snugly into the shaker tin and never fear about spillage. Designed to suit comfortably over a glass or tin and be held in place with one hand, it makes bartending or serving drinks at a celebration additional straightforward.
Excessive-High quality
At A Bar Above, we take a whole lot of delight in our bartending instruments and make them with food-safe, high-quality chrome steel 304.
Different Kinds of Strainers
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Mesh Strainer
A high quality mesh strainer is so helpful– each skilled bartender or cocktail fanatic ought to have one for creating silky easy drinks.
So what’s it used for? For cocktails, use one of these cocktail strainer in tandem with a Hawthorne strainer to double pressure your cocktail substances and take away extra particles out of your completed product– like bits of pulp, fruit seeds, and muddled leaves.
It’s nice within the kitchen, too; it’s the proper device for making soup inventory and may also be used as a tea strainer or for kombucha or baking substances.
Right here’s how you utilize it: Place the mesh strainer in your cocktail glass, and pour the liquid by way of the Hawthorne first and into the mesh. This double-straining ensures the smoothest cocktail with out undesirable chunks of ice, fruit pulp, or herbs.
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Julep Strainer
A julep strainer is called after the drink it was designed for, the Mint Julep. This strainer was initially made for drinkers of the Mint Julep so that they didn’t get a bunch of ice of their faces when ingesting it. These days, it’s used largely for spirit-forward cocktails which are stirred in mixing glasses; this traditional device removes bigger shards of ice, seeds, bits of fruit pulp, or chunks of herbs from the completed drink whereas nonetheless permitting in some ice shards and muddled substances.
When ensuring cocktail recipes with muddled substances, you really need to incorporate a few of the “particles”– like bits of mint leaves or fruit items, and the holes of the julep strainer enable this greater than the Hawthorne bar strainer does. It additionally permits extra ice chips, which is sweet in an additional chilly Martini.
A Bar Above 4-Piece Bar Set, Copyright A Bar Above
Shakers
One other technique of straining a drink is by ‘breaking the shaker‘ which is once you pressure by way of the small crack made by a Boston shaker so the ice doesn’t fall into the drink. It’s difficult to do however removes the necessity for a strainer– in fact, there may be extra risk that issues will move by way of, even bits of ice.
There are additionally shakers which have a built-in strainer, just like the cobbler shaker; however in our opinion, they only don’t work that properly as utilizing a separate strainer– They’re exhausting to take away & get caught simply. Plus, the strainer design isn’t very huge, so it will get clogged typically.
3-Piece Strainer Set, Copyright A Bar Above
Choose the Excellent Strainer
When you’re on the lookout for an attractive, dependable, ergonomic, and high-quality cocktail strainer, positively take a look at ours– bought individually or as a set if you wish to take your mixology expertise to the following degree– in addition to all our complete arsenal of bar instruments in our store.
We take a whole lot of delight in crafting our merchandise; they’re designed by an skilled bartender for bartenders, mixologists, and at-home lovers, so nice care has been taken of their design. Plus, they arrive in a variety of attractive colours: chrome steel, gold, black, and vintage copper.
So once you’re stocking your cocktail bar, make sure that to seize our strainers and all the things it is advisable to go along with them so you may make some scrumptious drinks!
