There are many different shapes and styles, but they’re all designed to do the same thing, rigorously shake ingredients and ice together. So which should you choose? Even through there are various families of shakers available, we have broken it down to the 3 main categories you can choose from:
There are all sorts of specific styles of 3-piece shakers, but they all follow the same basic layout, and one of these is probably what you think of when you imagine a cocktail shaker.
Unsurprisingly these shakers are made of 3 pieces: tin, strainer and lid.
Three Piece Shakers
They tend to be smaller in volume, depending on the style, but are still good for shaking 1-2 serves at a time; the built-in strainer is an added bonus.
The biggest issue with the 3-piece shaker is removing the lid after shaking. The shaker gets very cold causing the lid to shrink tightly onto the strainer. The shaker is also cold and wet with condensation, which makes it even harder to separate.
Despite all of this they are favoured by some professionals, particularly those in Japan and the high-end hotel bars of London. However you will never find this in a Bargruppen bar.
Two basic styles here, tin-on-tin or glass-on-tin.
Most have plenty of volume and can shake up to 3 serves at a time. This shaker style also gives plenty of room for ingredients to move freely while shaking.
The tin-on-tin version is widely used by professionals and is the main shaker we use in Bargruppen. The shaker can be broken open very easily once the shaking is complete and when you use the separate Hawthorne Strainer it’s very fast to serve too.
Be careful and make sure that you have a Boston tin and not a tin from a 3 piece. The Boston tin is thinner and more flexible, which allows it to stretch over the smaller tin or glass to form a tight seal. If you try this with a 3-piece tin you will likely end up wearing the drink you are shaking!