The Aviations, Martinis or the Manhattans wouldn’t be as good as they taste had it not been for the Cocktail shaker. A must for every bar, the cocktail shakers form a critical component amongst the other bar accessories.
There are mainly three kinds of cocktail shakers, namely:
Cobbler shaker: Comprises of a large mixing tin made of metal, a built-in strainer, a metal lid along with a small metal cap for covering the strainer. Best for beginners and is hassle free.
French shaker: It’s similar to the Cobbler shaker but doesn’t have the strainer in it. It needs an additional Hawthorne strainer to strain out the cocktail.
Boston Shaker: It’s a simple design shaker than consists of a tempered thick glass tumbler and a metal tumbler that is slightly bigger than the former. Since it doesn’t have a built-in strainer, you need a separate Hawthorne strainer to strain the cocktail. It generally needs a little practice to get comfortable using this shaker but once you get the hang of it you’ll find it’s the easiest and the fastest of them all.
But using a cocktail shaker effectively needs practice and can be perfected only with time. However, here are a few guidelines to help use that cocktail shaker effectively so that your cocktails can come out perfect and crisp.
Begin with choosing a shaker type that is easiest to handle. While you would see the pros usually using the Boston shaker, if you think you need a simpler one, opt for the stainless steel three-part shaker which includes an in-built strainer and a small cover cap.
Fill in the shaker with plenty of ice, fruit juices, liquor, fruit chunks or mixers.
Secure the shaker with the all the lids that it has. For a Boston shaker cover the glass mixing cup to secure the opening and for the stainless steel shaker secure the lid and the cap tightly.
Shake the shaker in a forceful motion and count to 15 whilst doing it. Note: If the liquids you’re using are thicker then you’ll have to shake for a little longer.
Now, steadily pour the cocktail into the serving vessel straining it either though a Hawthorne strainer if you’re using a Boston shaker or simply pouring it out if you’re using the stainless steel shaker.
How much you need to shake is something that you will perfect with time. However, the ‘Counting 15 rule’ works pretty much.
Which is your favorite kind of cocktail shaker? Share your experiences and preferences with us; we’d love to hear from you too.
Author Bio:
Urvashi is an experienced writer and blogger. In above post she has shared valuable information to use a Cocktail Shaker. Also, you will get an idea to buy cocktail shaker online.
