The mixing jug is a different proposition to the cocktail shaker. With the shaker, there’s a real difference between what you can make work when you’re at home without a specialist shaker to hand (we’ve listed a number of them here). However, you wouldn’t pick a swing top jar to work an 8 hour shift behind a busy bar.
When it comes to choosing a mixing jug though, the line is very much blurred between what you can repurpose at home and what you might buy from a professional equipment supplier.
So, here’s our take on what you’ll want to equip yourself with:
Although stainless steel can seem more utilitarian, and you can’t see into a mixing tin to watch the ingredients and ice spin together as you stir, the tin is still a strong option, and if you have a shaker, you already have this option.
Mixing Vessels
There are a number of options here. The most obvious is to use the tin from your cocktail shaker. It works perfectly well, but a wider container is more stable and easier to use.
There are small stainless steel jugs out there to buy from a number of brands.
They’re generally wider and more stable than a shaker tin and also have a lip to make pouring easier and more accurate.
One you might not have thought of is a stainless steel double walled flask. A little unusual, but it’s what they use in one of our favourite London bars, Happiness Forgets. Of course, if you decide to try this out, it’s vital that the flask is nice and wide and cylindrical on the inside to allow the ingredients and ice to rotate smoothly.
The great thing about a tin, compared to glass, is that they don’t break! You can simply throw it in your freezer and forget about it until you’re ready to mix.
They’re also useful if you’re heading around to a friend’s house and want to chuck a couple of tools in a bag to mix up some drinks when you get there.
This is probably what you were thinking of buying when you started your research into professional bar equipment. If you like stirring cocktails, then