Basic Tools for Mixing
You don't need fancy bartending equipment to make a great cocktail but it can certainly make the process easier, especially if you need to crank out multiple drinks for a party of four or more. The basic items that you will want to have on hand will have you turning out libations in minutes, however. Here we will cover the following items:
The Shaker
The shaker can be as simple as two cups you already have lying around (and just happen to fit neatly together), but for something a lot less messy, a made-for-the-job shaker will be ideal. There are three main types of shakers on the market:
1. Probably the most popular (and easy) is the Cobbler Shaker. This features a single cup with a strainer that fits neatly over the cup to help you go from shake to pour in seconds. The 3-piece set includes a cap to prevent your drink elements from getting all over the place. J/J features several types of Cobbler shakes made from metal, glass, and even plastic.
The downside of these shakers is that it's not uncommon for the strainer holes to be larger than desired, forcing the bartender to double-strain.
2. The traditional Boston shaker is preferred by many experienced bartenders due to its simplicity and durability. The Boston consists of two cups that fit neatly together. There are some styles that include one cup to be made from glass while the other is made from stainless steel. This adds the ability to see the contents while shaking, sometimes for dramatic effect. In both cases, separating the cups usually requires tapping one or even both of the metal cups while twisting. Since these don't have built in strainers, you will need a Hawthorne, Harrison, or Julep strainer to keep any bits from the fruit, herbs, or other elements you've added out of the final drink.
3. The Parisian shaker is essentially a mix between the Boston and Cobble forms, but unlike the latter, does not have a built in strainer.
These add a flair of sophistication to the mixologist's tool set and many of the Parisian shakers featured in the J/J store come in beautiful colors and finishes. The downside of these is that two hands are needed while shaking and they generally make only one to two cocktails at a time depending on the volume of the container.
Tips & Tricks
1. Place all elements of your drink into the shaker cup before adding ice, not after. This minimizes the "melt time" to avoid diluting the intended beverage.
2. Shake until the temperature of the shaker is noticeably frigid. Cold is good, but approaching frosty may be better. Shake until you can really feel the cold of the ice permeate all parts of the metal (or glass) in contact with your hands.
3. If you're using a Cobbler shaker, it's a good idea to separate the strainer cap from the cup right after pouring the drink into the glass and while the cup is still cold. This is because when cold, the parts will shrink, settling into each other which can make it more difficult to separate once they have warmed to room temperature and expanded.
Jiggers
As the name of this site may suggest, jiggers can be central to the bartender's tool set as they allow quick measurements that can be relied upon for their accuracy.
While you can certainly use a standard sized shot glass in place of a jigger, there's no reason not to have one of these or even multiple on hand when you need to make multiple cocktails in a short period of time.
The standard shot is 1.5oz. Many will come as double jiggers which can measure out both 1oz and 1.5 ounce shots, but it's also common to see jiggers for 2 ounces. The simplest jiggers are unmarked but fancier models may come graduated for faster measuring. You will find a large assortment of jiggers in the store, some with quite beautiful designs.
Strainers
When using a Boston or Parisian style shaker, you will need to use a strainer anytime you have muddled fruit, twigs and leaves from herbs, or other small items that are used to infuse your cocktails with flavor. Even with Cobbler shakers you will find that the larger holes won't catch these materials so you may need to double-strain. For this you will want to grab a Hawthorne or Julep strainer to remove these undesired elements.
| Hawthorne Strainer | Julep Strainer |
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Muddlers
The act of "muddling" simply means to crush and mix one or more ingredients to be used in a cocktail. This usually happens prior to adding the spirit or other elements to the shaker. These can take several different forms and are made from different materials to get the job done well.
