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 on the tin with the spring facing inwards, hold it in place with your index finger on the tab and pour in one smooth movement. Don't tilt too far, or the ice will push the spring up and let grit slip through after all. For a Daiquiri or anything else with citrus, double straining is worth the effort: hold the fine strainer above the glass and pour straight through it, so the drink arrives clear rather than cloudy. For a stirred Dry Martini, lay the Julep in the mixing glass with the domed side up and press it against the ice as you pour. Rinse the strainer between 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 with the cocktail shakers, the spoon you stir with is with the bar spoons and the measures are with the jiggers and measures. You will find the glasses you pour into under cocktail glasses. To see when double straining really makes a difference, read the recipe for a Bramble. There the blackberry liqueur is added only at the very end, and a cloudy base shows up immediately.