How to use a martini shaker

A martini shaker contains multiple components that allow you to shake and chill a variety of cocktails and strain them into a glass. The two most popular types of shakers are the cobbler shaker and the Boston shaker. A shaker can hold enough alcohol to make one or two cocktails or multiple mixed shots.

Contents

• 1 Steps
  • 1.1 Using a Cobbler Shaker
  • 1.2 Using a Boston Shaker
• 2 Tips
• 3 Things You’ll Need
• 4 Related Articles
• 5 Sources and Citations

Steps

Using a Cobbler Shaker

The cobbler shaker consists of a mixing tin, a lid with a built-in strainer and a second small lid that goes over the strainer. No further tools are required to make the drink, and the shaker is easy to assemble and to use.

1. Place your serving glass in the freezer for 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can fill it with ice and water and set it aside for 5 minutes. Discard the ice and water when you are ready to pour the drink into it.
2. Prepare your cocktail recipe. Pour the ingredients into the mixing tin of the shaker.
3. Add ice to the mixing tin. Fill so that the container is 2/3 to 3/4 full of ice.
4. Place the lid with the built-in strainer on top of the mixing tin.
5. Place the second small lid over the strainer. Tap it with the heel of your hand to seal it. Make sure it’s sealed well.
6. Hold the shaker in your dominant hand over your shoulder. Holding it over your shoulder ensures that if the lid comes off, your guests won’t get sprayed.
7. Shake the drink until water begins to condense on the outside of the shaker. The condensation will tell you that your drink is sufficiently chilled.
8. Remove the small lid and pour the drink through the strainer into your chilled serving glass.

Using a Boston Shaker

A Boston shaker utilizes a thick mixing glass and a larger metal mixing tumbler. Because this shaker does not come with a built-in strainer, you will have to purchase a hawthorn strainer to strain the cocktails.

1. Chill a serving glass by placing it in the freezer for 5 minutes or by filling it with ice water. Discard the ice water when you are ready to serve your drink.
2. Pour the ingredients for your cocktail into the mixing glass. Fill the glass 2/3 to 3/4 full of ice.
3. Invert the tumbler and place it over the top of the mixing glass, pushing tightly to seal the tumbler against the mixing glass. The cooling of the ice in the mixing glass will create a vacuum that will help to hold the seal between the two containers.
4. Shake the cocktail over your shoulder using one hand to hold each container.
5. Hold the mixing glass in your non-dominant hand and use your dominant hand to remove the mixing tumbler. You may need to gently strike the outside of the tumbler where the metal meets the glass with your hand to break the seal. Set the mixing tumbler aside.
6. Place a hawthorn strainer over the top of the mixing glass and strain the shaken cocktail into your chilled glass.

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Words by Simon Difford

Also known as a Boston or French Shaker, two-piece shakers tend to be preferred by professional bartenders (Japanese and other East Asian bartenders excepted). We recommend two-piece shakers with a capacity of at least one pint.

Two piece shakers comprise of two flat-bottomed cones, one larger than the other. The large cone, or ‘can’, is made of stainless steel or silver plated steel while the smaller cone can be glass, stainless steel or even plastic. If the smaller cone is glass the pair are collectively known as a ‘Boston Shaker’, and if metal then you have what’s known as a ‘French Shaker’.

Two-piece or two-part shakers tend to have a larger capacity than three-piece shakers, so allow for a lot more movement of the ingredients inside from one end to the other. As the name Boston and French may suggest, two-piece shakers are very popular amongst European and American bartenders.

Avoid Boston shakers that rely on a rubber ring to seal. I recommend Cocktail Kingdom, Alessi and WMF tins as I find these seal without a thump and open with ease. But however good your two-piece shaker, these devices demand an element of skill and practice for a new user to become proficient.

How to use a two-piece:

1. Combine ingredients in the glass (or smaller of the two cans).

2. Fill the large can with ice and briskly up-end over the smaller can (or glass), quickly enough to avoid spilling any ice. Lightly tap the top with the palm of your hand to create a seal between the two parts.

3. Lift shaker with one hand on the top and the other gripping the base and shake vigorously. The smaller can (or glass) should always be on the top when shaking and should point away from guests.

4. After shaking for around 12 seconds, hold the larger can in one hand and break the seal between the two halves of the shaker by tapping the base can with the palm of your other hand at the point where it meets the upper can (or glass).

5. Before pouring, place a strainer with a coiled rim (also known as a Hawthorne strainer) over the top of the can and strain the mixture into the glass, leaving the ice behind.

6. The ice used during shaking is now spent and should simply be dumped.
The used empty shaker should be rinsed with cold water before making the next drink.

We recommend always shaking with cubed ice. However, if shaking with large chunks of ice hacked off an ice block (block ice) then a longer shake will be required to achieve the same dilution due to the reduced service area of the ice. Conversely, if shaking with crushed ice then the extra surface area will result in increased dilution.

This dry martini recipe is a must for gin aficionados. With nothing but a little vermouth added, it is a great cocktail for really getting the taste of that fancy new gin you bought – but with a little more sweetness than drinking it neat.

The earliest gin martinis had a ratio of two parts gin to one part vermouth, but over time the measure of vermouth has become smaller and smaller. The IBA (International Bartenders Association) calls for a 6:1 ratio which really highlights the gin – you can add slightly more or less to taste – but the main demand of a dry martini is that you must use dry white vermouth.

Now we can’t mention martinis without mentioning James Bond whose on screen vision demanded his vodka martini be ‘shaken not stirred’. Well, this is known as a Bradford martini and some argue this stops the flavours from gently layering when mixed this way. So we like to side with the book version of 007 and agree that a light stir and a simple serving of an olive and some lemon peel is all this easy cocktail needs.

Read on for the perfect dry martini, then check out the rest of our cocktail recipes for more home bar favourites.

• Thanks to Master of Malt for sharing their dry martini recipes.

How to make a dry martini

This recipe uses Conker Dorset Dry Gin, but you can use any gin you like. Masters of Malt also recommend Hernö Navy Strength Gin – a stronger measure that really packs a punch.

Serve your martini in a classic martini glass if you have one. If not try a Champagne coupe, or you can serve on the rocks in an old fashioned glass.

© Provided by Real Homes (Image credit: Conker Gin)

Ingredients:

• 50–60ml dry gin
• 10–15ml dry white vermouth
• Green olive (optional)
• Twist of lemon peel
• Ice

Method:

1. Fill a martini glass and a mixing glass with ice (you can use a cocktail shaker but no shaking please). Leave to chill.

2. Pour away the ice from the mixing glass and add your gin and vermouth.

3. Stir for 15 seconds.

4. Remove the ice from the martini glass and pour in your cocktail. Twist a belt of lemon over the drink to release the oils and wipe around the rim of the glass. Pop lemon peel in the glass and garnish with an olive too if you like.

Feeling dirty: Add a splash of olive brine to the glass to serve – this is called a dirty martini.

Other martini recipes

If you have a sweet tooth, you might find the dry martini, well a little. dry. If you long for the sophistication of sipping a classic cocktail from a martini glass, there are a few variants that might take your fancy. Now, most are not really derived from the true gin martinis and many use vodka instead, but all are served in a martini glass – hence the name.

• Vesper martini: this was actually invented by Ian Flemming, the author of James Bond and is his most famous character’s favourite drink. It is a gin martini with vodka and Lillet Blanc – an aperitif wine.
• Appletini: vodka, apple juice and apple brandy make this sweet cocktail that is loved by American 20-somethings (just watch Scrubs or Two and a Half Men to get what we mean.
• Espresso martini: not a whiff of gin in site, this coffee and vodka cocktail is a tasty after dinner drink.
• Passion star martini: commonly known as the pornstar martini or passion fruit martini, this drink pairs vanilla vodka, passion fruit liqueur and prosecco for a sweet fix.

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The majority of cocktail recipes call for the ingredients to be shaken using a cocktail shaker. It is by far the most used, enjoyable, and entertaining method for preparing mixed drinks and it’s unbelievably simple.

Shaking is one of the basic bartending techniques and learning how to do it will significantly improve your drinks. With a little practice and by following a few tips, you will master it in no time. Once you get your personal shaking style down, your cocktails will emerge crisp, cool, and have a perfect blend of flavors.

What You Need

Cocktail shakers come in two basic styles: a three-piece shaker and a two-piece Boston shaker. Either can be used to create great drinks and which you choose will be a matter of personal preference.

The three-piece shakers have a built-in strainer so it is the only tool you need to shake a drink. If, however, you prefer a Boston shaker, you will need a separate strainer.

In order to shake a drink, you will need four basic things:

• Cocktail shaker
• Ice cubes
• Spirits, liqueurs, and mixers as called for in the recipe
• Strainer (if using a Boston shaker)

Watch: How to Look Cool Shaking Cocktails

How to Shake

Shaking a mixed drink is very easy. It should take just a minute or two from the time you begin pouring the ingredients to the time you strain the drink.

In most cases, you will follow these six steps to shake a cocktail:

1. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker or mixing glass (if using a Boston shaker).
2. Fill the shaker with ice (some bartenders to do this before pouring).
3. Secure the lid or shaker tin.
4. Hold the shaker with both hands (one on each piece) and shake vigorously over your shoulder.
5. Shake for a slow count of ten or until the outside of the shaker frosts up.
6. Strain your cocktail into a chilled glass. Remember to strain over fresh ice when preparing drinks served on the rocks.

Helpful Tips

While the basic shaking technique is very easy, there are a few tips that you will find useful. These are simple things you can do to make sure everything goes smoothly and that you get consistent, well-mixed drinks.

• Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice first. This will chill the shaker and cool the liquids as you add them. If you’re using a smaller shaker or making more than one drink at a time, use less ice to make more room for the ingredients.
• Or, use the mixing glass pour. When using a Boston shaker, pour the ingredients into the mixing glass before adding ice. Many professional bartenders use this technique when free pouring because it gives them a visual as to how much liquid is being poured.
• Don’t overfill the shaker. Give the ingredients plenty of room to move around. This also helps to prevent spills while shaking. If you’re using a small shaker, mix one drink at a time. The average-sized shaker can handle two or three drinks at once depending on the volume.
• Shake some drinks longer and harder. For cocktails that have many ingredients or ingredients that don’t mix well such as eggs or cream, shake the drinks for at least 30 seconds to ensure a proper mix. Egg cocktails are often best with a dry shake, so hold the ice and give the ingredients an initial shake. Then add ice and shake as normal.
• Look for the frost. The majority of the time, you can tell that you are done shaking when the cocktail shaker becomes frosty on the outside. This occurs most often with stainless steel shakers and may not appear on those made of other materials.
• Shake to a rhythm. Hum a tune, shake to a beat, and get into the movement. Many bartenders enjoy a good Caribbean drum beat or will shake to the music in the bar. Have fun with it.
• Shake it like you mean it.Shaking a cocktail is not meant to be a gentle thing and too many young bartenders make a weak attempt at it. Give the movement some force and power and enjoy the exercise. If you do it properly and shake often, your arms should be nice and fit.
• Have a firm grip. Hold both pieces of any cocktail shaker firmly to ensure they stay together while you are shaking. When using a three-piece shaker, place a finger on top of the lid to hold that in place as well. A cocktail on the floor is a sad thing, so keep your shaker in one piece.
• Shake over your shoulder. Shake over one of your shoulders (whichever is natural) just in case the shaker does come apart. Your backside may get wet, but your guests will not. This also helps add force to the shake.

Why Do It?

Shaking a drink is not done simply for the fun of it (though it is fun), there are very good reasons why most cocktails are shaken.

The goal of shaking is to:

• Thoroughly mix the drink’s ingredients and create a unified flavor.
• Give the drink a good chill.
• Add enough dilution to knock the strength of the drink down so it is more pleasant to sip.

Some drinkers may argue against this last point because they want a powerful drink. They’re the ones that often annoy a bartender with the request to, “Make it a strong one.” If that weren’t the case, many would put down the liquor and choose beer or wine instead, right? Yet, it’s important to consider the alcohol content of cocktails and how many you would like to enjoy on any given night.

When we’re mixing drinks that are almost entirely made of alcohol (like the majority of martinis), they can easily be in the 20 to 30 percent ABV (40 to 60 proof) range. That is after shaking with ice and rather close to the bottling strength of most liquors. At that potency, two drinks can easily get some people rather tipsy. Just because those martinis taste sweet, doesn’t mean they aren’t packed with alcohol.

Additionally, it is a myth that dilution weakens every cocktail to the point where it’s equivalent to wine or even as mild as a mixed drink like the rum and Coke. Don’t worry about over-diluting your drinks, that’s far more likely to happen if you sip on that rum & Coke for half an hour or more.

Is your goal to simply get drunk or to enjoy a few good drinks with friends? The truth is that many of the most potent cocktails taste better with a little dilution. The water opens up the flavors, helps them blend into a single flavor, and tames the alcohol to a point where it’s palatable and more enjoyable. This is why many whiskey connoisseurs and experts add a splash of water when sipping whiskey straight.

Water is a good thing. If you want a drink that gives you a shock, stick to shots. If you want a drink to experience, use your shaker.

Time for happy hour!

James Bond certainly put the martini on the cultural map. No matter which actor was playing the secret agent, Bond’s drink of choice often made a cameo and was always “shaken, not stirred.” But the truth is, the martini is a sophisticated classic in its own right—even without 007. It’s also one of the most variable cocktails out there. Shaken or stirred? Vodka or gin? Should it be garnished with a lemon twist or do you prefer olives or cocktail onions? Would you like it “dirty” with a little olive juice? Do you prefer a fruity version with apple liqueur? Or do you want to go rogue with an espresso or chocolate martini? The options are endless! If you’re channeling your inner Pioneer Woman, you might want to mix up a Butterfly Martini made with gin, St Germain, Crème de Violette, and hibiscus bitters—it’s on the menu at Ree’s pizzeria, P-Town Pizza!

But first, let’s start with how to make a martini—you don’t need to have a well-stocked bar to mix one up. Experiment a little to find out how you like your drink. And no matter what martini path you choose, be sure to serve your cocktail in a chilled glass to keep it nice and cold—it makes all the difference.

Is a classic martini made with vodka or gin?

A classic martini is made with gin. But because the liquor has a strong botanical flavor, many people prefer to use vodka—it’s more neutral. You can’t go wrong either way! Just keep in mind that a martini is basically straight gin or vodka, so use a brand you really like.

What about dry vermouth?

Other than gin or vodka, the only other alcohol in a classic martini is a hint of dry vermouth, which is a fortified wine. Like regular wine, vermouth is available in both red and white—pick white vermouth (or blanco, bianco or blanc, depending on what country it comes from) for a martini. You’ll only need a little bit of vermouth for a martini; be sure to refrigerate the opened bottle or, like wine, it will oxidize and turn into vinegar. If you want your cocktail “bone dry,” rinse your glass with vermouth instead of mixing it into the cocktail: Pour a small splash into a chilled glass, swirl it around, and dump it out before pouring in the vodka or gin. (If you’re feeling fancy, you can mist the vermouth into the glass with a spray bottle like some bartenders do!) The classic ratio is 1 part vermouth to 6 or 7 parts gin or vodka, but some people like their martinis “wet,” which means equal parts vermouth and gin or vodka.

Should a classic martini be shaken or stirred?

Purists would say that a classic martini that only contains alcohol (no extras like juice or olive brine) should be stirred, not shaken (sorry, 007!). Combine the ingredients in a shaker with ice and stir for about 30 seconds, then strain. (This technique is often used with gin-based martinis, since some people feel that gin can release too many of its botanical flavors if shaken.) Many people like to shake their martini to get it super cold, though—it’s purely a personal preference. To shake, combine the ingredients in a shaker with ice and vigorously shake for about 10 seconds before straining the drink into the glass.

What should I use to garnish my martini?

Some people like their martini “with a twist,” which means that you squeeze the back of a wide strip of lemon zest to release the oils into the glass, then rub the peel around the rim. You can even add the peel to the drink for a stronger citrus flavor. You can also garnish with pearl onions for a “Gibson” or add a toothpick of olives—usually plain green ones, although some people like garlic or blue cheese-stuffed ones in their glass. If you’re going the olive route and want your drink to have some olive juice in it, ask for it to be “dirty,” “extra dirty” or even “filthy,” depending on how much brine you want.

Once you know how to make a classic martini, play around a little to create your own perfect recipe!

While you sometimes hear people call it a martini shaker, the piece of equipment most commonly used for making mixed drinks is actually called a cocktail shaker. If you plan to make alcoholic beverages, it’s important to understand how to use the cocktail shaker effectively.

Purpose of Using a Cocktail Shaker

Cocktail shakers are used to chill and mix drinks. Shaking cocktails with ice aerates, mixes, dilutes, and chills the drink. If you’re using egg whites or dairy, it also adds a nice foam on top of the cocktails. You can also use the tumbler side of the mixer as a mixing cup or glass to create stirred drinks.

When to Use a Cocktail Shaker Versus a Mixing Glass

Contrary to what James Bond wanted, you do not use a cocktail shaker to shake, mix, and chill a traditional martini – or any other drink that is made from pure spirits. Instead, you use a cocktail shaker to shake and mix drinks containing alcohol, juices, and syrups, which won’t mix together as well with stirring. However, you can use the mixing tumbler part of the cocktail shaker to build and stir martinis and other cocktails. Here are some simple guidelines for when to shake or stir.

When to Shake Cocktails

• It contains juice and alcohol.
• It contains cream, eggs, or dairy ingredients.

When to Stir Cocktails

• It contains only spirits, such as a martini that has gin or vodka and vermouth, or an old-fashioned, which contains sugar, bitters, water, and whiskey.
• You add sparkling ingredients, such as soda or ginger beer. In this case, you typically shake alcohol and juice elements with ice first, strain into a glass with ice, add the sparkling ingredients, and stir.

How to Use a Cocktail Shaker for Shaken Drinks

Using a cocktail shaker to mix drinks doesn’t require any flashy moves or choreography. It’s a straightforward process.

1. If a Drink Has Muddled Ingredients, Muddle First

Cocktails like mojitos and mint juleps as well as some cocktails with fruit call for muddling. Always muddle first, right in the cocktail shaker.

1. Put the ingredients to muddle in the tumbler portion of the cocktail shaker.
2. Add the sweet element. This is usually simple syrup, superfine sugar, something syrupy like grenadine, or a sweet liqueur such as Cointreau.
3. Use a long handled muddler and press in a downward slightly circular pattern.
   • For mint and herbs, you only need to muddle lightly for a few presses to release the flavor. Muddling more may impart bitter flavors.
   • For fruits, you need to press harder and muddle for longer – maybe 10 to 20 seconds – to really break up the fruit and allow the juices to mix with the syrup.
4. After muddling, add other ingredients.

2. Measure Ingredients

Measure your ingredients into an empty shaker or right on top of the ingredient you’ve muddled. To do this, you’ll need to use a jigger. Most jiggers are double sided with measurements such as ½ ounce/1 ounce, ¾ ounce/1½ ounce, and 1 ounce/2 ounce. Learn to distinguish your jiggers by size so you don’t need to look every time you pour.

• In this step, add juices, mixers, bitters, syrups, spirits, liqueurs, and egg whites or dairy ingredients.
• When using a jigger, measure right up to the rim.
• It’s best when you’re starting out not to time or count your pour; measuring is more precise and results in a balanced cocktail.
• If you do time your pour instead of measuring, use a cocktail shaker with a clear tumbler so you can also eyeball the ingredients as you pour them.

3. If Egg Whites Are Included in the Cocktail, Dry Shake

You only need to use this step if the cocktail includes egg whites. Dry shaking, or shaking without ice, allows the egg whites to foam, which is their purpose in cocktails such as a pisco sour.

1. After you’ve added your ingredients and egg whites, put the lid on the shaker. Give it a tap on top with the heel of your hand to make sure it’s firmly in place.
2. Hold the top of the shaker in one hand and the bottom of the shaker in the other.
3. Turn the shaker so the lid faces you (this keeps drinks from being splashed on your guests if the shaker comes undone).
4. Shake vigorously back and forth for about 15 seconds.

4. Add Ice and Shake

Whether the shaker uses eggs or not, your next step is to add ice. Cubes are always your best bet (as opposed to crushed ice) for chilling cocktails because they don’t melt as quickly and therefore chill with less dilution.

1. Using an ice scoop, fill the shaker ½ to ¾ full with ice, adding it right on top of the ingredients.
2. Put the lid on the shaker and give it a firm tap with the heel of your hand to make sure it’s in place.
3. Hold the top of the cocktail shaker in one hand and the bottom of the cocktail shaker in the other. Turn the top of the shaker to face you so it doesn’t splash anyone if the lid comes off.
4. Shake vigorously for a slow count of 15 (15 seconds).
5. Set the shaker back on the bar with the tumbler side down.
6. If you’re using a Boston shaker, give the side of the shaker a good rap or two with the heel of your hand to release any vacuum pressure that has been built up and remove the lid. If you’re using an all-in-one shaker, then simply remove the cap that covers the strainer.

5. Strain the Cocktail

Your next step is to strain the cocktail. How you do this will depend on the type of cocktail shaker you’re using. If you’re using a cobbler shaker, you can simply remove the lid and strain right through the holes in the top while holding the lid firmly in place. If you’re using a Boston shaker, you’ll need to use a Hawthorn or julep strainer to strain the cocktail into the glass.

To use a Hawthorne strainer:

1. With the spring side facing the open top of the cocktail shaker, insert the strainer into the shaker. The spring will hold it tight in the strainer.
2. Use your index finger to hold the Hawthorne strainer in place and tip the shaker tumbler over your prepared cocktail glass. Strain the drink into it, using your index finger to control how quickly the liquid pours through the edges of the strainer.

To use a julep strainer:

While a cocktail is a combination drink that contains at least two or more ingredients, of which at least one is alcoholic, a Martini, on the other hand, is also a cocktail but made using three ingredients only, namely, gin, vermouth, and olives for garnish. Moreover, most prefer to stir their Martinis rather than shaking it, to avoid watering of the drink. However, some like their Martinis to be shaken and this they do for no more than ten seconds to impart a different texture.

Table of Contents

What you need:

Before getting into the details, you will need serving glasses, your Martini ingredients, ice, a Cobbler or Boston Martini shaker, and a Hawthorn strainer (if you are using a two-piece Boston shaker).

The Mechanics:

A martini shaker, similar to any cocktail shaker, contains at least two or more parts to prepare the drink. Based on the number of components used, you can make your Martini either using a Cobbler shaker or a Boston shaker with a strainer.

Using a Cobbler Shaker:

• Pour the gin and the vermouth into the mixing jar of the shaker.
• Fill it up with ice up to two-thirds full.
• Place the lid that comes with the inbuilt strainer on top of the mixing jar.
• Next, seal the shaker over the filter.
• Position the shaker between your dominant hands and start shaking in the shape of an eight over your dominant shoulder. The reason why it is advisable to shake it over your shoulder is that you do not spill the liquids over your guests.
• Shake until the outsides of the shaker start to condense. Based on the chillness of the frost formed, you will have an idea of how much the drink inside it is chilled.
• Carefully remove the upper lid by tapping it on its sweet spot.
• Pour the drink immediately into the chilled serving glass through the built-in strainer.
• Garnish with a juicy olive and serve.

Using a Boston Shaker:

• Similar to the initial steps followed in a Cobbler shaker, you will first need to pour in all the ingredients necessary to make Martini and then top it with ice up to two-thirds full.
• Then, place the tumbler over the mouth of the mixing glass in an inverted position and seal the tumbler tightly to avoid leaks.
• Further, the ice inside the shaker will create a kind of vacuum that will further hold the tumbler against the glass firmly.
• Next, shake the cocktail, as per the standard procedure, over your shoulders using both your hands and the thumb over the top of the tumbler.
• While serving, remember to hold the mixing glass in your other hand (the non-dominant one) and remove the tumbler using your dominant hand.
• Gently strike the portion where the metal touches the mixing glass to break the vacuum and thus the seal.
• Using a strainer, pour the contents from the mixing glass into the serving glass and garnish it with a bright green olive.

Other Useful Tips:

• Always ask your guest if they prefer their Martinis to be stirred or shaken.
• While using a shaker, fill the mixer only up to two-thirds of its volume to avoid leaks while shaking.
• Always remember to buy a strainer, if you are buying a Boston shaker, as it does not come with a built-in strainer like the Cobbler shaker.
• Always double-check if the seal is tight.
• After shaking the drink, pour it into the serving glass using a strainer.
• Always clean the shaker well before the next use to avoid the flavors from your previous cocktail to pass on to the next one.
• Use whole ice cubes instead of crushed ones, as these tend to clog the strainer.
• As a serving practice, chill your serving glass by placing it in the freezer for no longer than 5 minutes or chill it by filling it with ice and then discarding the ice before serving the final drink.

With a standard 28–oz shaker, you can easily prepare two full glasses of cocktails or a few shot-drinks. Enjoy your cocktail now. Cheers!

You’ve seen it used in bars, you’ve heard it mentioned in videos, and you’ve read about it in articles and recipes – but what exactly is a Boston Shaker?

At its simplest, a Boston Shaker is a two-piece cocktail shaker, consisting of a glass and a metal tin.

A useful and common combination is a 16 oz. mixing glass, and a 28 oz. metal shaker tin.

Some bartenders and cocktail lovers may also use a second shaker tin in place of the glass half, for a metal-on-metal Boston Shaker.

Note here, that while they look visually similar, a mixing glass is not the same thing as a pint glass. Specifically, a mixing glass has been created for the explicit purpose of use in a Boston Shaker, so the glass itself is usually created and heat-treated differently. If all you have is a pint glass, it will work, but be aware that due to the nature of how you open the Boston Shaker, your pint glass may eventually chip, and you’ll lose that batch of cocktails inside, and will of course need to replace your glass.

MIXING YOUR COCKTAIL

The Boston Shaker can be used for shaking or stirring a cocktail. This is part of the reason it’s so popular: it’s a multi-tasker.

When using a Boston Shaker you’ll need a strainer to keep the ice and other non-liquid ingredients out of the drink while you pour it into the appropriate serving glass. There are two types of strainers for the Boston Shaker:

> The Hawthorne Strainer – This is the style with the coil around the edge. You place it in the metal half of the Boston Shaker, coil side down, so it can hold back the ice while you pour your shaken drink into the glass. You use a Hawthorne strainer when you’ve shaken a drink, because the fine coil holds back pieces of ice or other ingredients that might be in your shaker.

> The Julep Strainer – This is the style that looks like a large spoon with holes in it. It’s used with the glass half of the shaker, or your mixing glass, when pouring a drink that has been stirred. It’s placed dome or curved side up (whichever feels best to you) into the glass and is held in place by your index finger while pouring. You use the julep strainer when you’ve stirred a drink because the small holes hold back large chunks of ice or ingredients, yet still let small pieces through for drinks where that’s desired. say like, a julep!

HOW TO USE + OPEN

In the video below, you can view a video our founder, Adam, did for how2heroes.com illustrating how to shake and pour a cocktail by making a margarita.

Although Adam doesn’t go into the opening techniques in detail (and he’s continued to hone his instructional skills since this circa-2008 video), it’s worth an overall viewing to watch the process of using a Boston Shaker for shaken cocktails.

He still hates those damn limes – they were like bricks!

Here’s a few links to some videos that illustrate in a even more detail:

Jaime Boudreau does a super video on shaking a cocktail. Right around the 2 minute mark he goes into great detail on how to open the Boston Shaker. It’s really educational and totally worth the time to check it out.

How to Use a Cocktail Shaker by Duggan McDonnell on Chow.com talks about setting the shaker tin at an angle to facilitate an easy release.

Not enough info for you? Here’s a few reference links below:

COBBLER SHAKER

FYI – That shaker with the cap on it and a built-in strainer, isn’t a Boston Shaker – that one’s called a Cobbler Shaker.

Though there are a few of those that are well-made, and we do carry a few that meet our standards, the base models you find in most home goods stores are made of thin metal which dings and warps easily. When this happens, you’ll find the cap will no longer release after shaking a drink, due to the vacuum seal created by the cold ice. In this, you not only lose that drink, but you’ll have to replace your shaker entirely. Though it might take a couple tries to get the feel of a Boston Shaker, they’re generally just as affordable to start, and will outlast most cobblers.

For these reasons, most professionals and cocktail enthusiasts will use a Boston Shaker for it’s versatility, customizability, and durability.

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Words by Simon Difford

Three-piece shakers are also called ‘Standard’ or ‘Cobbler’ shakers, they comprise of three sections:
1) Flat-bottomed, conical base or ‘can’
2) Built-in strainer mid-section
3) Top cap or lid which seals the shaker

In 1872, the first patent for a cobbler-style three-piece shaker was granted in the United States. It is the style of shaker preferred by Japanese bartenders and practitioners of the hard shake due to the shakers relatively small capacity so the limited travel of the ingredients and ice inside the shaker.

Three-piece shakers with built-in strainers are slower to use and pour more slowly than two-piece shakers, especially if the drink being poured contains muddled fruit. However, we recommend this style of shaker for home, non-professional use due to its ease of use.

How to use a three-piece cocktail shaker

1. Combine all ingredients in the base of the shaker.

2. Fill two-thirds full with ice.

3. Place the top and cap firmly on the base.

4. Pick up the closed shaker with one hand on the top, securing the cap, and the other gripping the bottom, and shake vigorously. The cap should always be on the top when shaking and should point away from guests.

5. After shaking briskly for around 15 seconds, lift off the cap, hold the shaker by its base with one finger securing the top and pour the drink through the built-in strainer.

Getting Drinks From Shaker to Glass

Milkos / Getty Images

Straining is used almost every time a cocktail is mixed in a cocktail shaker, no matter if it has been shaken or stirred. It is a very simple technique, but there are a few tips and different methods that will help you get the cleanest drinks. Which you use will depend on the type of strainer and shaker you are mixing with, as well as the drink’s ingredients.

Why Do We Strain?

A basic bartending technique, there are a few different reasons why we strain cocktails. The most obvious is when we don’t want ice in the finished drink. Martinis and similar cocktails which are mixed with ice but served “up” fall into this category.

For drinks that are served over ice, it is generally preferred to strain out the old ice and pour the drink over fresh ice. This is particularly true when a drink is shaken.

Shaking breaks down ice considerably, sometimes reducing the cubes to half their size. While this dilution is actually desirable for the drink itself, too much water is not. The fresh cubes in the serving glass will last much longer than the shaker ice, helping avoid watered-down drinks.

The final reason we like to strain cocktails is to remove chunky ingredients. This may be bits of fruit, torn herbs, or whole spices that are not desirable in the final drink. They’ve done their job to flavor the drink and are no longer needed.

While cocktails like the mojito and old-fashioned are generally served with these solid ingredients, it’s not the best option for every drink. Also, some drinkers prefer the strained version because it prevents the accidental mint leaf from getting stuck in their teeth.

Straining With a Cocktail Shaker

The three-piece cocktail shaker is the easiest to strain drinks from. The strainer is built into one of the lids, so there is no need for a separate tool.

When you use with this strainer, you want to get a firm grasp on the mixing tin. Place your forefinger and middle finger on top of the strainer lid to secure it ( the strainer lid can and will come off if you don’t). Slowly tip your cocktail shaker upside down over the serving glass and let the drink pour out. Due to the smaller hole, give it a little shake to move the ice around and ensure you get all of the liquid.

Straining With a Boston Shaker

The Boston shaker requires a separate tool to strain because there is no built-in strainer. The majority of the time, you will want to use a Hawthorne strainer, but you may also find a julep strainer useful at times. It’s not a bad idea to have both in the bar, though the Hawthorne is a better choice if you’re going to choose just one.

Hawthorne Strainer: This strainer is very common to see in bars. It has a flat top with either two or four “thumbs” sticking out and a semi-circle of springs underneath. It is designed to fit snuggly inside a shaker tin to hold back ice and almost all solid ingredients, creating a clean, crisp cocktail in the glass.

To use the Hawthorne strainer, place it inside of the mixing tin with the coil facing down. Hold the strainer in place with your forefinger while grasping the tin firmly near the top. Slowly tip the tin over the serving glass. When the glass is filled, quickly return the tin to an upright position to avoid any spills on the bar.

Julep Strainer: Use this strainer when straining from the mixing glass of your Boston shaker because it tends to be a better fit. This is useful when stirring drinks because it is often recommended to pour ingredients into the clear glass part of your shaker so you can see what and how much you’re pouring.

To use the julep strainer, place it inside the mixing glass with the bowl of the spoon facing out (it seems counterintuitive, but it should be upside down). Hold the strainer on the joint between the handle and bowl using your forefinger and firmly grasp the glass close to the rim. Slowly tip the mixing glass over the serving glass. When the glass is filled, quickly return the tin to an upright position.

Breaking the Shaker: This is a method of straining that some professional bartenders like to use and it doesn’t require a separate strainer. Essentially, you are going to crack the seal of the Boston shaker and carefully pour the drink into the serving glass through the small gap you create between the two pieces of the shaker.

The trick here is to control the pour without letting any ice fall through the gap or force the two pieces apart, therefore dumping the entire drink. It requires practice and it’s recommended to do so with water. Also, this method will not strain out any herbs or small solids as they will slip through the crack.

Some Boston shakers, like the Quick Strain Tins, have strainer holes built into the walls and make quick work of straining.

Double or Fine Straining

On occasion, you will come across cocktail recipes that suggest double straining, such as the watermelon cucumber cooler and French Quarter smash. This technique is often used when the cocktail is mixed using torn herbs and other small, solid ingredients that are not desired in the final drink. When double straining, you will run the drink through two strainers: one of those mentioned above and a fine mesh strainer.

To double strain, place your regular strainer in or on the cocktail shaker and hold a fine mesh strainer by its handle over your glass. Pour through both strainers into the glass, anything that made it through the first strainer will (ideally) be caught in the mesh.

If your mesh strainer is larger than the diameter of the glass, be sure to pour slowly so liquids don’t splash over the rim.

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‘The mixing glass is the incarnation of the delicacy that we use to prepare the cocktail’

Among the key tools of a good bartender, the mixing glass is a mostly important tool for those cocktails that need to be mixed. This powerful instrument must be used in those drinks that do not need to be removed energetically with a shaker. How long should we mix? The mixing glass should be used for about 15 or 20 seconds.

The first thing you should know is that this technique consists in, literally, mixing distillates that have been in barrels for a long time, in order to awake flavours forgotten in the wood. Anyway, not everything is that simple, we can find exceptions. Dry Martini, for example, leads to a singular case, its main ingredient, gin, does not require time in the barrel, however, to create this distillate we use the mixing glass. When we want to give more presence to a distillate versus another, in those cases, we must use this bartender’s professional instruments.

You might think that something as simple as mixing in a glass does not require training or standards. However, there are several recommendations to consider if you are going to prepare a cocktail:

1. The mixing glass must be at the centre of the table to aim a better control of the process and to focus in not missing anything.
2. Please fill the glass with ice, this tool must always be at a very low temperature. Stir well the ice and the water to capture the flavours.
3. Hold it with your left hand and hold the top facing to the left to serve drinks to your guests or customers.
4. The spoon is your best friend. Handle it with ease, remember that you are mixing ingredients and delicacy is a virtue to achieve a unique mix. The quality of your cocktail will depend on the management of the mixing glass.
5. Once the process is complete, you must quickly serve the resulting mixture into the cups previously positioned in the bar.
6. It is not recommendable to prepare more than three cocktails at once. It could be a mistake in the final result.
7. Finally, before preparing the next mix, do not forget to wash the glass with water and without soap.

With these few tips, you can properly mix and produce the best drinks, impressing others with your knowledge about cocktails.

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In What It’s Worth, we investigate why an everyday household item is worth buying. and what to look for when shopping for that very item. This week, we are zeroing in on the cocktail shaker.

Whether you’re hosting a get-together or just need to relax a little after a long day, the cocktail shaker is an essential accessory for the home bar. And we’ve all seen the varying styles and prices for cocktail shakers, but there are some key things to keep in mind if you’re in the market for one.

Popularized in the early 1930s, the cocktail shaker generally comes in two styles: Traditional and Boston. Traditional cocktail shakers are more common and it’s usually made of stainless-steel or metal. It comes with a small top piece that goes on top of the shaker like a lid and also has a strainer construction that allows you to pour a chilled drink without accidentally pouring in the ice.

For a fancier cocktail shaker, there’s the Boston style, which often comes in separate parts: a tumbler top, a separate strainer and a body that’s usually made of metal on the outside and glass or plastic on the inside. The purpose of the separate strainer is for drinks that are shaken with crushed ice but which aren’t served with the crushed ice; the strainer separates the two. Since it’s a little easier to clean, professional bartenders favor the Boston style shaker. But honestly, we’ve had too many martinis that included horrible miniature ice floes, which makes it obvious that most professionals can’t even handle a Boston shaker. So for the home bar we say: Pass on the Boston shaker.

There are double metal layered shakers and insulated ones as well, which will keep the drinks chilled and your hands from getting cold while concocting a beverage. However, although insulated shakers may keep the beverage chilled, it has the negative effect of preventing the ice from melting, which means there’s no water to dilute the drink (a desirable thing for a perfectly-balanced cocktail).

And finally, we wouldn’t immediately rule out plastic shakers. While they are the most thrifty option (in price and in looks), plastic shakers can actually be the best shaker option given that the plastic construction will inhibit heat transfer from your hand and let the ice in the shaker melt from the heat coming from the liquid. But aesthetically speaking, everything else trumps a plain plastic cocktail shaker.

On the whole, an expensive cocktail shaker doesn’t mean that it’s better. If you’re paying prices that are anything above $30, you will be paying for the designer name and the looks. (And even $30 is a stretch, honestly.)

Thinking about buying a shaker or two? Click through the slideshow below for our picks from the marketplace. And let us know in comments below what makes a cocktail shaker worth the buy for you.

Though sleek, store-bought shakers work well, you can use items already in your kitchen to shake beverages. A shaker helps you blend and chill a drink, so any vessel and with a way to secure its top will work. As long as your drink is shaken and your clothes remains dry, your DIY shaker qualifies as a success.

Use two cups, one with a slightly smaller mouth than the other. Add your drink ingredients to the bigger cup, firmly fit the smaller cup upside down into the larger cup’s mouth, hold each end tight and shake. Simply create a small opening between the two cups to strain the drink out. This design actually reflects the origin of the modern cocktail shaker.

Flip the two-cup DIY drink shaker when making drinks with lots of ice. Put your ice and drink ingredients in the larger cup and place a smaller cup, right side up this time, into the mouth of the big cup. Keep the cups upright, shake in a circular motion and strain into a glass. This method gives you a little more leeway with cup sizes. Use glasses rather than plastic cups for better cooling capabilities.

Use a travel coffee mug in a pinch. Add your cubes and drink ingredients, put the lid on securely, place your thumb over the lid’s opening, shake and pour. Use a metal mug if possible, as metal cools iced cocktails better than plastic. You can also use a thermos, as long as it has an opening big enough to fit ice cubes for chilled drinks.

When using a DIY shaker, shake your drinks for about 10 to 15 seconds for the maximum chill.

You can use your homemade shaker for more than just cocktails. Try shaking salad dressings and sauces as well.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Use A Martini Shaker

Martini shakers can be used to create many different drinks, including the infamous martini.

Martini shakers are used, as the name would imply, to make shaken martinis. What the name does not convey, however, is the fact that martini shakers are useful in creating a whole host of other cocktails, with alcohol or without. From lemon drops to appletinis, frozen margaritas to cosmopolitans, the martini shaker can lend a helping hand. Unfortunately, many people simply don’t know use a martini shaker. Here you will learn use this handy barware.

Instructions

1. Fill the martini shaker three-quarters full of ice. If you fill it too far, there won’t be room for the ingredients to “shake” during the shaking process; iIf you don’t fill it enough, the ingredients won’t get thoroughly chilled and the drink may become too watered down (the ice will melt faster at a lower temperature and water the drink down instead of chilling it).

2. Pour your ingredients into the martini shaker. Once again, make sure that the end result doesn’t fill the shaker and more than three-quarters of the way full.

3. Secure the martini shaker’s lid firmly on top and test it to make sure that it’s nice and snug.

4. Hold the martini shaker at both ends, with one hand holding the lid end firmly down and the other hand holding the bottom of the shaker and providing upward force. This will keep the shaker’s lid from coming off while you’re mixing the drink, and prevent the drink ingredients and ice from spraying everywhere.

5. Shake the martini mixer vigorously for 30 seconds. This will make sure that the mixture inside is fully integrated and chilled while also introducing some very small ice chips into the drink to help keep it cold in the glass.

6. Remove the lid of the martini shaker carefully and then strain the drink mix out into its intended glass.

7. Serve chilled drinks immediately for best results.

Tags: martini shaker, make sure, make sure that, sure that, hand holding

You don’t need to shake a martini — they don’t contain any citrus, so you only need to stir them.

That said, I’ve generally been advised to coat the inside of a shaker with vermouth, fill it entirely with ice, add the gin, stir, then strain into a chilled glass.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 6:29 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]

The melting of the ice is the main thing that cools the drink. So, for the most part you can rest easy because if you want it to be a certain coldness, you’re going to have to melt a certain amount of ice. I think it’s going to basically come to equilibrium at some point well below freezing and at that point you should quit because you’re bringing in heat from your hands and the air and that’s melting more ice than you needed.

I suppose smaller ice will get you to that point a bit faster, so there’s that. But I’m not sure about those minor tradeoffs.
posted by ftm at 6:31 PM on May 20, 2013

I’m not a chemist, but as best I can explain without looking up references: the magnitude of cooling and dilution when shaking/stirring a cocktail is largely a function of surface area. Many large cubes = smaller volume of small cubes = even smaller volume of crushed ice. The amount of ice you’ll load into a mixing glass depends on a) ice cube size, b) amount of dilution wanted, c) volume of spirits you’re mixing. Generally, you’ll want to put in an excess of ice and mix until the drink is the coldness you desire. The classic rule of thumb, I understand, is to shake in the rhythm and length of the chorus of the song Brazil, by which time the shaker should be painfully cold.

A martini, however, is never shaken, largely for aesthetic reasons — the texture should be smooth and sleek, not lively with bits of chipped ice. Stir with a bar spoon, about 30-60 revolutions depending on taste, strain into a chilled glass. You can make it however you want, though; after a minute or two a shaken martini will look fairly similar to a stirred one.
posted by demons in the base at 6:38 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]

Dilution is what causes the drink to chill. More ice, especially smaller ice, should make the process happen quicker, but from what I’ve read with vigorous shaking it only takes like 15-20 seconds for the temperature to reach equilibrium (at which point any further shaking/diluting won’t lower the temperature appreciably). So yeah, I guess if you use lots of really small ice you might shave a second or two off.

It should be noted that stirring will reach the same equilibrium point as shaking (amount of dilution and temperature) it just takes longer. On the order of 1.5-2 minutes. For people who care deeply about all things mixed drinks, it’s generally preferred to stir the martini. Shaking introduces lots of little air bubbles which affects the final look (though the bubbles do dissipate in time) as well as introduces small ice shards (which can be strained). The stirred martini will be silky smooth. Drinks with significant amounts of citrus or dairy juice need to be shaken in order to achieve proper emulsification (and their looks aren’t going to be hurt at all by the shaking).

Also, if you use sweet vermouth (apparently the original martinis did) then you definitely don’t want to shake it as shaken sweet vermouth turns very muddy looking (ugly). Again, it’ll calm down but who wants an ugly drink?

Finally, since this is all about martinis, do not fear vermouth! It’s a key ingredient. Just be sure to use fresh vermouth as it is a lightly fortified wine and will go bad after opened (not as quickly as wine but it will happen). I generally do a 3:1 ratio of gin to vermouth.

And for real finally, add a couple of dashes of orange bitters to the drink. Again, many early recipes did this and it does do a lot for the drink.

One more final note, use a lemon twist instead of olives. Olives tend to overpower much of the more subtle flavors of the gin and vermouth.

And to wrap it all up, use gin instead of vodka. There are a number of really terrific gins on the market at very reasonable prices. If the juniper rubs you wrong try some of the American gins which do not emphasize the juniper as much as traditional London Drys do.
posted by bfootdav at 7:02 PM on May 20, 2013 [5 favorites]

Yes, you do want a certain amount of ice. Too little and you dilute the drink because the ice melts more than it should in order to chill the drink. Smaller ice carries a larger amount of melted water on its surface, so larger ice cubes are better if you want to avoid dilution. Here’s the lowdown on some cocktail science regarding ice :

Bar ice is 0° Celsius (it isn’t stored in a freezer). This is important. If your ice is in the freezer, it can chill your drink before it starts to melt. The ice will lower the temperature of your drink while getting warmer till it hits 0° C. After the ice gets to 0° C, it doesn’t get any warmer. ALL FURTHER CHILLING IS DONE BY MELTING ALONE. In a bar situation, all chilling is done by melting. There is no chilling without dilution.

You use “enough” ice. We did initial experiments that showed that using too little ice results in poor chilling and greater dilution. The benefit of adding more ice plateaus at a certain point so that it neither helps nor hurts the temperature or dilution. I don’t have exact numbers for the plateau point (I lost my old data cause I’m a jerk), but using Kold-Draft ice, Eben and Alex shook a 100 ml gimlet with one cube, two cubes, three cubes, and up. They were able to keep getting better results up to at least 5 cubes.

You don’t use ice so broken down that it carries a huge amount of water with it. The volume of an ice cube goes up as the third power of its size, but the surface area goes up as the square of the size. Small ice cubes, therefore, have a larger surface area per gram than large ice cubes. Since water resides at the surface of wet ice, immense amounts of surface area will unfairly add to dilution.

You shake “enough.” Putting ice in the drink and walking away doesn’t constitute shaking. You need enough agitation to get fresh drink in contact with the ice. It doesn’t take a whole hell of a lot, as we shall see.
posted by oneirodynia at 8:26 PM on May 20, 2013 [1 favorite]

The main reasons for shaking drinks are to chill a cocktail, mix the ingredients, or put a head of foam on some cocktails.

As a general rule, you should shake all cloudy drinks (including cream drinks and sours), and you should stir all clear drinks. Never shake a cocktail that has carbonated water or soda. For some drinks, such as the stinger or martini (recipes below), ask your guests whether they prefer them shaken or stirred.

All shook up

Most professional bartenders use the Boston shaker to mix drinks. It consists of a mixing glass and a stainless steel container that overlaps the glass. To shake a cocktail in a Boston shaker, follow these steps:

1. Put some ice cubes (if called for in the recipe) in the glass container.

2. Add the cocktail ingredients.

3. Place the metal container over the glass container.

4. Hold the metal and glass containers together with both hands and shake with an up and down motion.

Make sure that you always point the shaker away from your guests. This way you avoid spilling anything on them if the shaker isn’t properly sealed.

The two pieces of the shaker may stick together after you shake a drink. Never bang the shaker against the bar or any other object; instead, gently tap it three or four times at the point where the glass and metal containers come in contact.

When pouring or straining the cocktail, always pour from the glass container.

Martini madness

A real martini is simply a couple ounces of ice cold gin (or vodka if gin isn’t your thing) with a dash of vermouth. Some people like more or less vermouth than others (or none at all), and some people prefer an olive or a twist of lemon or even a pearl onion for a garnish. But that’s really about it when it comes to true martini variations. Other cocktails are “martinis” only because they’re served in martini glasses.

Here are three fruit-flavored “martinis” to enjoy:

Apple Martini

1-1/2 oz. Glacier vodka

1/2 oz. Schoenauer Apfel Schnapps

Dash of cinnamon

Shake with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a slice of apple.

Limón Martini

2 oz. Bacardi Limón

3/4 oz. Martini & Rossi Extra Dry Vermouth

Splash cranberry juice

Shake with ice and strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Raspberripolitan

2 oz. Absolut Raspberri

1/2 oz. Cointreau

1/2 oz. cranberry juice

1 dash lime juice

Shake with ice and strain into a well-chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

A standard three piece cocktail shaker consists of a body, strainer and cap. Occasionally, the strainer will become stuck to the cup making it difficult if not impossible to remove. There are several possible causes for this. A sticky residue on the inside of the cup or strainer, the contracting of the metal cup as it gets cold, or a mismatched strainer and cup combination can all cause this problem.

Soak the shaker in hot water. This is the simplest and usually the quickest way to get the top off of the shaker. If the shaker was gummed up with sticky residue the warm water will work to dissolve it. If the shaker was fused because the metal of the cup contracted around the strainer as it got cold then the warm water will loosen it up. Another thing to try is placing the shaker in a bowl of ice water for five minutes then dip the top in hot water. Sometimes the temperature difference between the top and bottom will set the strainer loose.

If the shaker is metal, tap the shaker against the edge of the bar where the strainer and cup meet. This can jar the top loose. If the shaker is glass, try to twist the top off gently. It can be difficult to get a grip on the shaker because it’s slippery or wet. If this is the case rubber grip pads (available in the kitchen department of most stores) can help to grip the parts. If you don’t have grip pads, use mouse pads instead.

Add cold water through the strainer, into the cup. Then run the top of the strainer under hot water. This temperature difference should help to loosen the two parts if the above methods failed. Care should be taken with glass shakers here because it is possible for them to crack or shatter due to thermal shock.

Make sure that the cup and strainer portions of your shaker are part of the same set. If they are mismatched stuck tops are more likely. To keep the top from sticking again, rub the edges of the cup and strainer with plain table salt and then rinse them clean.

Twas a woman who drove me to drink, and I never had the courtesy to thank her for it. —W.C. Fields

It’s an argument that has plagued modern man since the dawn of time. Well, since the early fifties, at least. Just how does one make the “perfect martini?” If you ask ten different martini drinkers, my bet is you’ll get ten different answers. Most will be crap. Gentle readers, I intend to put this query to bed, once and for all. The following is the only way to make the perfect martini. Read it. Memorize it. Become one with it. For this, indeed, is the ultimate guide to the good life.

First off, you’ll need a few items:

• Ice. Lot’s of it.
• Properly chilled, stemmed martini glasses (Properly chilled means your glasses should be in the freezer for a minimum of one hour prior to making the martini. To avoid confusion, or disaster, I suggest putting said glasses in the freezer and leaving them there permanently.)
• Vermouth
• A glass pitcher or metal shaker
• Garnish, be it olives, or lemon peel. These are the only things, garnish-wise, that are permitted. Sure, you can use things like cocktail onions, but then it isn’t a martini, now is it? The answer is no. It’s a Gibson.
• And last, but obviously not least, gin. Pay attention, dear readers. I said GIN. I did not mention raspberries, chocolate, or anything involving butterscotch. Those drinks may be “martini-like”, by virtue of the type glass in which they rest, but the similarity ends right there, buster. And don’t give me any of this James Bond crap about vodka. No! That is not a martini, either. Case closed.

12 Steps to the Perfect Martini

1. First, grab the vermouth out of the fridge. It needs to be in the fridge, because it’s a perishable item. Take off the cap. Pour the vermouth into the cap. That’s all the vermouth you need.

2. Now, take the glass pitcher, or metal vessel, out of the freezer, where it, too, should remain.

3. Put the ice in the container (a healthy handful of cubes, at least seven to eight, in my opinion), and then pour in the vermouth. You want not only to coat the bottom of the shaker/pitcher, but the ice as well. Give it a swirl, and then out it goes, right down the drain. Now, it’s not necessary to shake it to death. A drop or two of vermouth is in proper proportion.

4. On to the gin, which should be kept in the freezer. Let’s be tasteful here, folks. The contemporary man has been trained by various restaurants and bars that a martini should be somewhere between the size of your noggin and a bowling ball. Nope, nope, nope. Two shots. That’s three ounces. No more. Could be a half oz. less, actually.

5. At this point, it depends what type of container is in use. If it’s a glass pitcher, you stir. If it’s a metal one, you swirl, in a semi-vigorous manner, but not violently. You want the ice friction to cause a chain reaction of cold, but you don’t want to bruise the gin. Gin needs to be gently introduced to the vermouth, and there MUST be some ice melt dilution. So, swirl, or stir, depending.

6. At this point, put your container down and your accoutrements away. Find some good music. In my opinion, all this ultra-lounge stuff is fine. Mancini, Julie London, Les Baxter, et. al. I listen to it, too. But, my first instinct is now, and will always be, to go for the Sinatra. Why mess around? After Sinatra, there’s Dean-o, then Sammy. After I’ve exhausted those, then, and only then, will I go for the lounge.

7. Okay, back to the drink. Swirl it some more.

8. Now put out something to nosh on. My preference is for good old fashioned cocktail peanuts, spanish-variety if you can find ’em. It was always good enough for Dad, so it’s what I go with. I think it’s passed on in the genes, actually. Other options are mixed nuts, or even blue cheese on crackers. As long as it isn’t things like goldfish crackers, chex mix, yogurt-covered anything, etc., you’ll be fine.

9. Back to the drink again. Swirl some more.

10. Grab the olives out of the fridge. Take your toothpick and push out those nasty little red pimento buggers. Mount up two olives.

11. Swirl some more.

12. Strain the concoction into two martini glasses (I say two because martinis need to be drunk in the presence of beautiful women. The same logic goes for the olives. You use two, as Sinatra put it, so there’s one for you, and one for the beautiful gal that’s about to walk in the door.) In go the olives. Out go the day’s troubles.

Martini Drinking Etiquette

Martinis are serious drinks, for serious people. Case in point:

As I said before, they aren’t to be made with amaretto, or as big as a football, and they most certainly are never, never, never to be drank while wearing jeans, t-shirts, or ball caps (whether worn frontwards, sideways, or backwards. N. O. means NO!) Of course, a tux is the ultimate, but not practical for most of us. A dinner jacket is nice. Or, a “loose flowing sport shirt,” i.e. a classy, not chincy, Hawaiian shirt. Again, that’s Sinatra, this time from From Here to Eternity. But, you knew that already, right?

You have to remember, the martini is the King of the Cocktails. It’s from a different era. A martini is not something to be raced through, but to take your time with, in a relaxed state of mind. All that hooey-phalooey about vigorous shaking, and drinking it before there’s even a thought of ice dilution is for frat boys. Guys that drink their “martinis” with chocolate in ’em. Or vodka. Just look at movies like The Tender Trap. Now, while I don’t advocate using equal parts vermouth to gin, nor making them in fishbowls, as was done in said film, the point is, it’s a casual thing. Back in my Dad’s day, martinis were made in large glass pitchers, with ice, and left to sit out. Kinda like in The Seven Year Itch. I do, However, recommend taking the cubes out before drinking. Marilyn didn’t seem to mind, I must say.

PASSIONFRUIT martinis are great to be enjoyed with friends, or one-on-one as a little afternoon treat on your day off. Here’s how to make a passionfruit martini at home.

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The passionfruit martini is elegant, sophisticated and absolutely delicious. Whether you use fresh passionfruit or passionfruit purée, the result will be an exotic taste of the tropics. As with all cocktails, make sure to taste before serving – your drink may need some adjusting. This recipe from BBC Good Food will give you a delicious passionfruit martini every time.

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How to make a passionfruit martini

For this recipe, you will need:

3 ripe passionfruits (they should have a crinkly exterior) halved

50ml clear pressed apple juice

50ml vanilla vodka

30ml passionfruit piquer

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 tablespoon sugar syrup

1/2 tablespoon passionfruit syrup (optional)

A cocktail shaker

Passionfruit martini recipe: How to make a passionfruit martini (Image: Getty)

Passionfruit martini recipe: Passionfruit cocktails are delicious and easy to make (Image: Getty)

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Fill your martini glass with ice.

Halve the passionfruit. Slice one thin sliver and put aside for later.

Scoop the rest out of the flesh / seeds into a small sieve.

Press at the pulp with the back of the spoon and extract the juice into your cocktail shaker.

Passionfruit martini recipe: Pornstar martinis are the favourite drink in the UK (Image: Getty)

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Add all the remaining ingredients and fill the shaker with ice.

Shake vigorously until frost forms on the outside of the cocktail shaker.

Discard the ice from the martini glass, and strain the cocktail into it.

Decorate the martini glass with a fine slice of passionfruit.

Passionfruit martini recipe: The cocktail can be made using fresh passionfruit or passionfruit puree (Image: Getty)

Where did the passionfruit martini originate?

The passionfruit martini, also called the “pornstar’”martini has been around for more than 20 years.

Conor Meyers, creative director of Underdog bar, said: “The Pornstar Martini started back in 1999 in London and was created by Douglas Ankrah for Lab Bar.

“It’s a super simple drink that was created for no other reason than just to create a nice, provocative, tasty drink.

“The name isn’t really based on anyone in particular; it’s just more to sort of bring customers out of their comfort zone.”

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In interviews, Mr Ankrah claimed the martini is a “stylish and confident drink, that’s our indulgence, sexy, fun and evocative”.

The cocktail is not a true martini in nature, but one of the many drinks incorporating the term into their names.

The passionfruit martini is regularly reported to be the favourite cocktail among drinkers in Britain.

GQ Hype’s new series ‘Live like Bond’ explores the clothes, accessories and accoutrements used by James Bond that you can enjoy in real life. This week, a Dirty Martini recipe from Bond’s own barman.

In Spectre, the actors who serve 007 his signature cocktail (in this outing’s case, he orders the Dirty variety) were trained by Erik Lorincz, formerly head bartender at the Savoy hotel. Here, he explains his technique.

1. Avoid the big mistake

The difference between a decent dirty Martini and one that’s undrinkable comes down to how you get the olive juice. “Most bartenders use the brine from the olive jar,” says Lorincz. This is a no-no. Instead, drop four green olives into the base of a three-piece cocktail shaker. Lorincz likes to use the Nocellara del Belice olive variety from Sicily. “They are not too salty, with a soft and light vegetable taste and good texture.” Crush them with a muddler to extract their flavour.

2. Break the ice

Use a tea towel to hold a block of cloudless ice steady on a chopping board (though more experienced bartenders hold it in their hand) and hack off cubes. Fill the shaker two-thirds full with ice. Why cloudless ice? “It has no bubbles,” explains Lorincz, “so the dilution is slower.” Cloudless ice can be bought online, or you can make it. First, fill a picnic cool box with water (but don’t put a lid on it) and place it in a chest freezer. After four days, remove the box. Once the ice has slightly melted, tip out a clear block.

3. Vital ingredients

Measure out 60ml (2fl oz) of vodka and 15ml (1⁄2 fl oz) of dry vermouth (if you’re making larger quantities, stick to this 4:1 ratio), and pour it over the ice. Lorincz uses Belvedere for the vodka and Cocchi for the vermouth but notes that, because of the olives, “in a dirty Martini you lose some of the flavour of the spirits”.

4. Shaken not stirred

Cradle the shaker horizontally in your right hand, top towards you. Brace it with your left, placing your thumb on the lid. Shake it back and forth vigorously, moving it up and down from chest to head level as you do so. Listen to the noise of the ice. “The longer you shake it, the softer the ice, like going from having stones in the shaker to having sand in the shaker.” When you hear the latter sound – usually after about 15 seconds – it’s done.

5. Take the strain

Strain into a chilled 190ml (6 1⁄2fl oz) Martini glass, shaking the mixer rapidly from side to side to get the liquid out quickly. If you want a drink without tiny pieces of olive in it, you should strain it through a sieve. Finally, add garnish. “Normally we use just one olive, which we drop into the glass.” Feel civilized.

This Dirty Martini is just dirty enough with olive juice to satisfy dirty martini fanatics, and it is filled with stuffed olives to make it even better! For another flavorful martini, try my White Chocolate Martini–perfect for dessert!

Dirty Martini

If you love green olives and love a stiff drink, then you have no doubt had a dirty martini. The olive brine, or ‘juice’ that the olives sit in, is the key to this martini. The brine is actually just salt, vinegar, and water, but after olives have been in it for a while, you get that salty, olive-tasting goodness! And, with the addition of stuffed olives into the drink, it is even more enticing!

Dirty Martini Recipe

As soon as I tasted a dirty martini, I knew it was going to be one of my favorite drinks. I am not a huge fan of sweet drinks, and this has the saltiness I crave with no sweetness! The only problem is the added stuffed olives are tough not to eat before I add them to my cocktail!

Ingredients

• Vodka
• Olive juice
• Large olives (pitted and stuffed)
• Dry vermouth

How to Make a Dirty Martini

Get out your shaker for this recipe. With all the drinks that are shaken, not stirred, you should definitely own one! Fill the shaker with ice and pour in your favorite vodka and the olive juice. Shake, shake, and shake some more until it is very cold. In a chilled martini glass, add a dash of dry vermouth. Strain the shaken vodka mixture into the glass and drop in the stuffed olives.

How to Make a Martini without a Shaker

Don’t miss out on a refreshing cocktail just because you don’t have a cocktail shaker…yet😉. A great alternative would be to use a to-go coffee mug with a solid lid. Fill the mug up with ice, just like in a shaker, add all the ingredients, cover the opening mouth part, and get shakin’! When you are ready to pour the martini into the glass, just open up the mouth opening and pour. The lid should hold the ice back so you just get the chilled cocktail.

How to Stuff Olives?

Whenever a martini is served with stuffed martinis, I feel like I am getting more for my money! So, how can you stuff your own olives for your martini you enjoy at home? Yes, you can buy stuffed olives, but it’s easy to fill the olives in with the cheese you prefer. First, you need to pit the olives if you did not buy pitted olives. To pit the olives, you have a couple of options. You can use a meat pounder or the flat edge of a large knife. With either method, place the flat part down on the olive and press down. The olive should burst, and then you can remove the pit, open it up, and fill it in with your choice of crumbled cheese, garlic, or a combination of ingredients. Put 2-3 olives on a toothpick or skewer to be placed in your martini. Enjoy!

Published on August 24, 2020 Updated on September 25, 2020 by Eden

Our favorite dirty martini recipe and the history of this classic drink! We’re sharing all of the details about making this cocktail shaken and stirred!

If you love to entertain, you may be continually on the prowl for new recipes. However, there’s more to dinner than food and dessert. Liven up your next party (or Sunday evening) with a dirty martini using our foolproof recipe. In the meantime, we’re also going to unwrap this drink’s dirty secrets!

History of the Dirty Martini

There are many theories about this. Here are two of the stories that may hold the secret of the dirty martini’s humble beginnings.

The story goes that a New York bartender created the martini variant in 1901 by muddling the olive and eventually adding olive brine.

Or…perhaps it was famous 19th-century bartender Jerry Thomas who first mixed in a little olive brine to spice up his signature drink.

What Is the Dirty in a Dirty Martini?

Dirty martinis have a kick of olive brine in the mix. Olive juice adds acidity and salt for a more powerful flavor that drink sippers world-wide savor. It also changes the color of a clean, clear martini, making it “dirtier.” Traditional martinis come with an olive garnish, but many bartender add two or more to a dirty martini.

How to Make a Dirty Martini

Ingredients

• Olive Brine (use what you have in the olive jar)
• Vodka or Gin
• Vermouth
• Olives

Directions

Add the ingredients into a tall cocktail glass for stirring OR in a cocktail shaker for shaking. We go into the difference about shaking and stirring below. It’s fully your preference and we actually prefer shaking!

Stir or shake with ice so the ingredients become very cold. That is the key, to get them cold and let the water subtly dilute the cocktail.

Strain into a coupe or martini glass and serve with 3-5 olives! Personally, the more olives the better.

Olive Brine

Most people will use the olive brine in the jar of olives. However, if you make a lot of dirty martinis you might want to buy or make your olive brine. Here are a few options:

Another quick tip for making extra dirty martinis is to muddle a few olives in the glass, then shake. It’s SO good and creates even more of an olive taste. Again, personally preference but I like my dirty martinis extra dirty!

Do You Put Vermouth in a Dirty Martini?

Martinis, including dirty martinis, typically contain vermouth. However, like many mixology recipes, there are many variations. Why should it be simple, after all?

The secret, if you go out for drinks, is in how you order. The bartender follows directions provided by the customer. Here are the different ways you can order a dirty martini:

• Dry: This means you prefer little vermouth.
• Extra dry martinis: This variation involves swirling vermouth around a chilled glass and pouring off the excess, so just the slightest flavor comes through.
• Extra dirty: Extra dirty martinis have equal parts of olive juice and gin or vodka.
• Not very dirty: You also can order a martini with extra olives and no brine.

What Is the Best Vodka for a Dirty Martini?

The key to making a great dirty martini is to use high-end vodka (or gin if you prefer). You may already have a favorite vodka, but here are two to consider for your homemade dirty martinis:

• Grey Goose: Made from wheat and natural ingredients in France, this vodka uses naturally filtered water that runs through Grande Champagne limestone. It has a fresh, crisp taste that you can taste even in mixed drinks.

• Ketel One: Prepared in small batches since the 1600s, this vodka has fruity and a smooth taste. Ten generations of the Nolet family have tested every batch. It elevates dirty martinis and other mixed drinks with its consistent production process.

• Titos is also a good, affordable choice for Vodk.

What is the Best Gin for a Dirty Martini?

• Tanqueray: This London dry gin is perfect for sipping martinis!
• St. George: Has notes of sage and woodsy Douglas fir.

What Does a Martini Taste Like?

When served cold and in a chilled glass, a martini has a clean, crisp taste that celebrates the spirits used to produce it, rather than muddling them with too many ingredients.

Is Martini Made With Gin or Vodka?

Traditionally, martinis are made with gin. However, many people prefer vodka, which has a less herbaceous taste than gin. Truly, this is up to you and your preference!

Shake or Stir?

Mixologists typically stir cocktails and martinis. Stirring gently and smoothly blends the ingredients. However, shaking a dirty martini can help circulate the olive brine. It’s really a matter of customer preference.

If you’re anything like James Bond, you’ll want your martini shaken, not stirred. The main thing is getting the martini very cold, it makes it more enjoyable to sip.

More Cocktail Recipes You’ll Love!

Now that you know a bit more about dirty martinis, try your hand at our recipe and amuse your friends with some dirty talk on the history of this popular drink.

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