What cocktail shakers do professionals use?

Professional bartenders tend to gravitate towards a Boston shaker. Composed of two 12- and 28-ounce mixing tins (either glass or tin), these shakers provide a tight natural seal and ample room for ice and drink.

What kind of shaker do bartenders use?

The Boston shaker is the Major League. It's the cocktail shaker of choice for most bartenders and true cocktail apprentices. The Boston shaker consists of a shaking metal tin and a mixing glass tin but has no built-in strainer.

Which is the best cocktail shaker set?

The 13 Best Cocktail Shakers, According to Drinks Pros

1. The Birdy Cocktail Shaker. ...
2. Set of Koriko Weighted Shaking Tins. ...
3. Piña Stainless Steel Bar Boston Shaker. ...
4. Mixing Tin Set. ...
5. Tattoo Weighted Tin On Tin Shaker. ...
6. Heavyweight Cocktail Shakers. ...
7. Double Wall Shaker. ...
8. Stainless Steel Cobbler Shaker.

What makes the Boston Shaker a favorite mixing tool among professionals?

In the Liquor Lab class, we used a Boston shaker. It's a bartender favorite because of its simplicity and effectiveness. The tool consists of just two cups—either both made of steel or one steel and one tempered glass—that create a vacuum seal when whacked together.

Does the quality of a cocktail shaker matter?

Never compromise on taste. Second, is the way the cocktail shaker can affect the taste of your cocktail. A low-quality cocktail shaker will rust or disintegrate and this is guaranteed to taint the taste of your cocktail. As a professional or even hobbyist mixologist, I'm sure you'll agree that taste is everything.

Is a Boston shaker better?

Verdict. Professional bartenders will usually choose a Boston Shaker set due to their larger capacity as well as being faster and more efficient to work with behind a busy bar. I would recommend a Cobbler Shaker for home use as they are easy to use and you generally won't need to make a large volume of cocktails.

What's a Boston shaker?

At its simplest, a Boston Shaker is a two-piece cocktail shaker, consisting of a glass and a metal tin. A useful and common combination is a 16 oz. mixing glass, and a 28 oz. metal shaker tin.

Are plastic cocktail shakers good?

While they are the most thrifty option (in price and in looks), plastic shakers can actually be the best shaker option given that the plastic construction will inhibit heat transfer from your hand and let the ice in the shaker melt from the heat coming from the liquid.

What do you use a Hawthorne strainer for?

A Hawthorne strainer consists of a flat disc to which is affixed a coiled spring. The spring traps large chunks or slivers of ice and other solid ingredients, such as muddled fruit or mint leaves.

What is a cobbler cocktail shaker?

2. Cobbler Shaker. The cobbler shaker is usually composed of three pieces - body, built-in strainer, and cap. This is the second most popular shaker but the most common issue is the cap getting iced and stuck when the shaker becomes too chilled.

What size cocktail shaker should I buy?

If you just want a shaker large enough for a happy hour for one, a small 12-ounce shaker will do. If you're looking to craft cocktails for a crowd, opt for a shaker that holds at least 28 ounces. This will save you time by giving you the space to craft many cocktails at once.

How many types of cocktail shakers are there?

There are three different types of cocktail shakers: the Boston, the Cobbler, and the Parisian (or the French).

What does straining a cocktail do?

The goal of straining a cocktail is to remove various items before serving. It can be used to remove ice from a shaken drink or to remove broken leaves or fruit from a muddled cocktail.

What is the spring for on a cocktail strainer?

Fixed around the edge of the rim, the Hawthorne cocktail strainer's metal spring rolls inward to fit inside the glass. Another purpose of this spring is to trap large chunks of ice and other solid ingredients like muddled fruit or mint leaves.

Why is it called a Hawthorne strainer?

If you had to venture a guess, you'd probably think that the Hawthorne strainer was named after someone named Hawthorne; after all, the original strainers had the name “Hawthorne” emblazoned on them in perforations. In actuality, the strainer earned its name because of its use at a bar called 'The Hawthorne.

What is a julep strainer used for?

The Julep strainer has larger holes, so it's best used for straining larger bits from your drink (mostly ice). According to Imbibe Magazine, the Julep was invented as ice became more readily available in the 1800s for use in bars when bartenders needed a tool to help strain the ice from their drinks.

What can I use instead of a cocktail shaker?

So if you don't have a shaker, use virtually any strong container with a lid that seals instead. My preferred shaker hack uses a mason jar. Measure your ingredients into the jar, fill the jar three-quarters full with ice, screw on the lid, and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.

Are Boston shakers hard to use?

The Boston is a 2-piece shaker consisting of one smaller and one larger metal cup that you put together to create a vacuum seal while shaking your cocktail. It's pretty straightforward to use and really easy to clean, making it the common type of shaker for bars, but it does require additional tools.

Why is a Boston shaker the best?

The Boston shaker is the go-to shaker for professional bartenders, because of its capacity, efficiency, and speed. The shaker's ubiquitous presence has become part of the bar experience where the bartenders slam the tins together for a tight seal before they shake the ingredients together.

Why is it called Boston shaker?

The theory is that one day someone put these two vessels, which would've been different sizes, together and shook the contents, probably for dramatic effect. The result was a cocktail with a different mouthfeel and slightly different flavour profile too. The Boston Shaker had been born.

How do I choose a Boston shaker?

There is really no right or wrong in choosing a shaker. The different types of cocktail shakers all give the same result; a shaken cocktail. It all comes down to three things: design, versatility and the volume of liquids.

What is a Parisian cocktail shaker?

The Parisian is a style of two piece cocktail shaker. Unlike the boston tin style, the Parisian is one solid construction – or like having a standard cocktail tin with its own lid.

How long should you shake the drink when using the Boston shaker?

Shake vigorously for a slow count of 15 (15 seconds). Set the shaker back on the bar with the tumbler side down. If you're using a Boston shaker, give the side of the shaker a good rap or two with the heel of your hand to release any vacuum pressure that has been built up and remove the lid.

How should a bartender break the seal on a Boston shaker Barsmarts?

Point the fingers of the other hand skyward and, with the heel of the hand, sharply strike the top part of the mixing tin at approximately the spot where the rim of the glass is nestled inside it. The seal should break.