Posts Categorized: Cocktails

The Hawthorn Strainer: Make More Professional Drinks

A Hawthorne strainer is a bar tool that you will often see in use by professional and amateur bartenders alike. It’s usually used for solid ingredients like fruit, vegetables, and ice. There is an easily removed spring on the inside of the strainer that helps to keep bits of fruit pulp, shards of ice, and other unwanted particles from getting into the cocktail. The spring on the inside of the hawthorn strainer makes it easy to use without spilling anything over the side. 

It can take some practice before using a Hawthorne strainer becomes second nature but once you have mastered how they work, you’ll find them indispensable at your home bar!

Anatomy of the Hawthorne Strainer

There are several components to your standard Hawthorn strainer that make them the go-to strainer for many shaken drinks. 

There is a disc-shaped piece that is perforated with small holes or slits that allow liquid to pass. The coiled spring is attached to the underside and is intended to catch the ice, fruit, or other particles and stop them from entering the serving glass. There is a handle on the side that makes it easy to hold and use, as well as a finger tab to help with “closing the gate”, or pushing the strainer down to the rim of the mixing glass or shaker tin.

There are some other variations of this type of cocktail strainer like the size of the handle, type of finer tab, tightness of the coil, and more depending on their application. Typically you will find Hawthorne strainers are made out of stainless steel but occasionally you might see one made from more durable materials like nickel-plated brass or polished copper alloy as well!

How To: Hawthorn Strainer Edition

The Hawthorn strainer is a little piece of barware that can really come in handy when it comes to cocktails. Follow the steps below and you’ll be straining cocktails like a pro in no time!

Steps

• Add your ingredients to the shaker or mixing glass and shake your cocktail until all elements have combined nicely together.
• Then take your Hawthorne Strainer and insert it into your Shaker so that the coil fits snuggly around the rim.
• Strain your cocktail into your serving glass by securing the strainer and the tin with one hand and pressing the finger tab downwards with your index finger to nudge the strainer into position.
• Gently hold the strainer over the glass and pour your cocktail into the serving glass and add any remaining ingredients including additional ice, or garnishes.

Pro Tip: Hawthorn Strainer Style

There are two different styles of Hawthorne Strainers – the “over-rim” and the “vertical.” The vertical type is best for straining cocktails that have ingredients with a lot of pulp such as muddled mint or berries. It’s also great to use when you want more control over how much ice goes into your drink.

The over-rim style is perfect for everything else! Learn how to distinguish between the types by holding them in front of you, parallel to one another. If they both look like ‘A’ then it’s an Over Rim Style Hawthorne Strainer; if only one looks like A, then it’ll be Vertical Style instead.

Double Straining Your Cocktails

In combination with a fine mesh strainer, otherwise known as a tea strainer, you can sift out the smallest of particles including berry seeds and crushed ice from getting into your cocktail. Using double straining in this way will not take away from your beverage’s consistency or texture and you can be sure that all of those unwanted flavors and specks are gone with just this simple step. 

Want to Learn More About Home Barware?

For more information on the accessories and tools you may need for your home bar, check out our blog for great articles and tips! You can get the details on julep strainers, bar spoons, shakers – plus cocktail recipes and so much more!

The Secret to Fixing Your Perfect Cocktail – the Fine Mesh Strainer

Most of us have had a drink ruined by bits of fruit or tiny egg whites that made it through a single strainer. It’s frustrating to take one sip and be greeted with something you didn’t want in your drink. Fine mesh cocktail strainers, otherwise known as tea strainers, are bar and kitchen tool necessities. These strainers are small circular wire mesh screens that fit into a metal ring or globe and are often used in combination with a Hawthorne strainer or Julep strainer as an extra precaution.

How Fine Mesh Cocktail Strainer Works

Tea strainers can be used to make drinks without the worry of herbs, egg whites, fruit pieces, etc ruining their texture. Add your primary strainer to the cocktail shaker to remove the larger particles such as ice cubes, whole herbs, etc. Hold the fine mesh wire strainer over your glass by its handle and pour your cocktail through both strainers into the serving glass!

We have so many uses for this classic cocktail accessory these days—let Learn how to use a fine mesh cocktail strainer. It’s simple, and we’ll show you all the proper techniques that make your drinks taste better with fewer bits of fruit or other unwanted items floating in them.

The Right Way to Double Strain With a Fine Mesh Strainer

We all know that sometimes our Juleps and Hawthorne strainers just don’t get everything. But have no fear, the Fine Mesh Strainer is here to save the day! Simply pour your drink through it for a smooth beverage like nothing you’ve had before.

There are many fine strainer types, but the one we want to talk about is a fine mesh strainer. It’s small and circular with little holes in it so you can’t see through them. The idea of using this type of fine mesh strainer is that when fruit pieces or other undesirable substances get into your drink, they will get caught in the fine mesh and not make it to your glass. 

Adding a second strainer to the bar process can help you create an even smoother drink. The Fine Mesh Strainer is specifically designed for this purpose and will ensure all of your hard work in perfecting that cocktail has paid off!

How to Use a Fine Mesh Strainer:

• Attach your main strainer (either Hawthorne or Julep) to the shaker or mixing glass.
• Then hold the fine mesh cocktail strainer by its handle over the rim of your desired glass.
• Pour the drink through the main strainer and the fine strainer into your glass.
• The large particles, such as ice or chunks of fruit are caught by the primary strainer while anything that comes through it will be caught by your secondary mesh.
• Enjoy your perfectly smooth cocktail!

Fine Mesh Strainers for a Perfectly Clean Cocktail

The Fine Mesh Strainer is perfect for when you want to get every last drop out of your drink ingredients. It won’t ruin the cocktail by causing ice cubes or fruit pulp in it like other strainers might do! Plus, this tool makes cleaning up after yourself much easier than ever before because all you have to do is rinse it off instead of dealing with a bunch of wet messes. 

The metal ring, or globe, is usually made of good quality stainless steel, copper, aluminum alloy, or brass material that helps ensure that your cocktails are as clean and clear as possible! This means no fruit pieces sneaking by because they were too small to get captured on their own but big enough to slip past some other types of strainers.

Fine mesh cocktail strainers are used in combination with other types of bar strainers to ensure that your drink is well-filtered and without unwanted sediment.

Learn More About Stocking Your Home Bar Essentials

A home bar is a great place to entertain friends, relax with your family members or just have some time for yourself. A drink can be the perfect way of loosening up and getting in an even better mood! For more information on all the accessories you may need at your home bar, check out our blog where we talk about everything from Hawthorne strainers to cocktail recipes like Mint Juleps.