Pouring spouts

Decide per station what weighs heavier: speed or control. Free flow spouts let the drink run freely, so you dose by count. That is fast and keeps you flexible, and it is the standard in cocktail bars. If you would rather steer tightly on your margin, or have changing staff doing the pouring, choose a measured spout that cuts off after 20, 35 or 50 ml.

Then look at the flow rate. A fast flow spout fills more quickly and is pleasant at a busy bar; a medium or slow flow gives you more time to count and therefore less variation. For thick liquids such as syrup and liqueur, take a wider opening, otherwise it glugs. If you prefer to work with a separate measure, have a look at the jiggers or the pour measures.

Check your dose once with a measuring cup before you start pouring by count. On most free flow spouts four counts comes to about 4 cl, but that differs per model and per amount still left in the bottle; a full bottle runs faster than a half-empty one.

Bring the bottle up in one smooth movement and set it upright again in one go. Hesitating halfway gives an uneven stream and therefore an uneven measure. Always seat a spout firmly on the neck so no air can pass alongside it, and use a cap as soon as the bottle goes back on the shelf; that keeps fruit flies and dust out and stops sugar from drying inside the spout.

Alongside plain stainless steel there are plated versions in black, copper and gold. Those sit more quietly on a dark bottle shelf, but the finish lasts longer if you wash them by hand rather than sending them through the machine.

Pour spouts are consumables. Rubber and plastic corks expand, discolour and start leaking over time; natural cork dries out and shrinks. Rinse spouts that come into contact with syrup or liqueur through daily with hot water and keep a spare stock behind the bar, so a leaking spout does not hold up your shift.

If you are after the rest of your station rather than just the spouts, that is with the cocktail supplies, and the surrounding kit is with the bar accessories. If you first want to see how free pouring relates to building a drink, read the bar tools page and the recipe for a Negroni, where three equal parts let you taste straight away whether your measure is right or whether you are structurally pouring too heavy.