Cocktail shakers are essential for mixing drinks in both commercial and home bars. There are two types: traditional and Boston, with metal being the preferred material. Consumers should consider their mixing needs when purchasing a shaker.
A cocktail shaker is a crucial piece of tableware, as it is the equipment used to mix drinks. Both commercial and home bars usually have a stock of shakers for mixing drinks, in a variety of materials and styles. At a minimum, a home bar should have at least one full-sized cocktail shaker for entertaining, and perhaps more for making a large batch of mixed drinks. Many kitchen and liquor stores sell shakers to meet a variety of needs.
There are two basic types of shakers. The first is a traditional or shoemaker’s stirrer, most often found at home. The traditional shaker has three pieces: a metal base, a fitted top, and a cap at the top that fits over a built-in strainer. To use a traditional cocktail shaker, the cap is removed, the ingredients are poured in, the shaker is capped and shaken vigorously, and the drink is poured through the filter. This type of cocktail shaker tends to be bulkier and slower, making it a less-than-ideal choice for busy bars.
A Boston shaker has two parts: a metal base and an embedded glass cup. To use this type of shaker, ingredients are poured into the base and the nest cup is capped to seal the shaker. The drink is shaken rapidly until the metal is cold, the shaker is tapped again to break the seal, and the drink is poured through a bar strainer into a glass. Bar strainers are vital tools to use when using Boston shakers, as they ensure drinks are smooth and uniform.
While metal is the most common construction material for cocktail shakers, other materials such as glass and plastic can also be used. However, because a cocktail shaker is meant to chill a drink while mixing it, many bartenders prefer metal, as it conducts cold well. The device may also be decorated or engraved, and cocktail shakers are often sold in a set with other matching bar tools. They’re also available in a range of sizes, from personal models for mixing single drinks to larger bar sizes for handling larger volumes.
When purchasing a cocktail shaker, consumers should consider how many drinks they mix at a time. For people who are casual entertainers or rarely mix drinks, a small traditional stirrer is probably a good choice, as it will be easy to use. For a larger mixing volume, however, an assortment of Boston shakers might be a better choice. They are typically designed to work with pint glasses if the mixing glass that comes with the shaker is damaged or broken through misuse.
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