Cocktail strainers

You recognise the Hawthorne by the coiled spring running along its rim. That spring grips the inside of the tin and catches ice, fruit pulp and herbs, which makes it the standard strainer for anything you make in a shaker. When choosing one, look at the density of the spring: tighter coils hold back more, but also slow the pour. The Julep is a spoon-shaped strainer with holes and no spring, which you set at an angle in a mixing glass and hold in place with your index finger. Use it for stirred drinks, which contain no solids. The 8 cm fine-mesh strainer is not a replacement but an addition: hold it under the Hawthorne to catch even the smallest ice crystals. All three are available in stainless steel, copper, gold and black.

Place the Hawthorne with the spring facing inward on the tin, hold it in place with your index finger on the tab, and pour out in one smooth motion. Don’t tilt it too far, or the ice will push the spring up and let sediment through after all. For a Daiquiri or anything else with citrus, double straining is worth it: hold the fine strainer over the glass and pour through it, so the drink goes into the glass clear rather than remaining cloudy. For a stirred Dry Martini place the Julep with the convex side facing up in the mixing glass and press it against the ice as you pour. Rinse the strainer between two cocktails.

The strainers are made of stainless steel, with a layer of copper, gold or black over the coloured versions. That coating is thin, so treat it as a finish and not as the material itself: no wire brush, no scouring agents, and hand washing is better than the dishwasher, where salt and high temperatures dull the colour over time. Take the spring off a Hawthorne to clean it, because pulp and mint get caught between the coils and never come out otherwise. Plain stainless steel is fine in the dishwasher.

A strainer only works together with the rest of your set. The tins are under cocktail shakers, the spoon you stir with under bar spoons , and the measuring cups under jiggers and bar measures. You’ll find the glasses you pour into under cocktail glasses. If you want to see when double straining really makes a difference, read the recipe for a Bramble. The blackberry liqueur is added only at the end, and a cloudy base is immediately noticeable then.