Drinks listed as “Shake with ice and strain” will form the bulk of drinks you will make, and while this is a simple procedure, there are a few points to note that will make a big difference to the quality of your drinks.
Equipment:
- Boston Shaker or Three Piece Shaker
- Plenty of cubed ice
- Hawthorne strainer (optional)
- Fine strainer (optional)
Method:
- Combine the ingredients to shake in the Boston glass or three piece shaker base.
- Fill the Boston glass or shaker base with ice (and I mean FILL).
- Cap the shaker with the Boston can or strainer and cap.
- Holding the base and top of the shaker firmly, shake vigorously up and down for 10-15 seconds, until a frost forms on the outside of the shaker.
- Split the Boston shaker or remove the cap of the three piece.
- With a Boston, place the Hawthorne strainer over the can and pour, with the three piece, pour through the built in strainer.
Options:
With the Boston shaker, if you don’t have a Hawthorne strainer you can reverse then Boston glass, placing it inside the can to retain the ice. This is handy in a busy bar!
When pouring straight up drinks, for best results pour through a regular strainer and a fine strainer or tea strainer – this will catch smaller fragments of ice and make the drink look far nicer. Fine strainers will also catch any fruit pulp or seeds in fresh fruit cocktails and give a smoother mouthfeel to the drink.
If your drink is served on the rocks (with ice) make sure you pour over a full glass of fresh ice, which will keep your drink tasting as it should for as long as possible.
