• by Rachel Hoar
  • Sep 24, 2020

The 3 Best Cocktail Shakers - And How To Use Them

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Want to equip your home bar with the best cocktail shaker set? We’ve got the lowdown on the 3 most popular types of cocktail shakers.

 

COBBLER SHAKER

The cobbler shaker, or three-piece shaker, is a favorite of amateur bartenders. Why? It’s the only shaker with a built-in strainer!

 

The cobbler shaker is composed of 3 parts: 

  • the small cap on top
  • the fitted cocktail strainer lid in the middle
  • the large shaker tin on bottom

 

This is, arguably, the best shaker for amateur home bartenders because it’s so self-contained: no need for separate glasses or specialized strainers. However, if you’re aiming for a more professional-looking cocktail, you may want to pour into your cocktail glass via a finer, mesh strainer; the larger holes in the built-in cocktail strainer lid occasionally allow tiny bits of ice or fruit to enter your cocktail. 

 

The cobbler shaker also boasts a tight seal that prevents leakage. When drink mixing, the ice in your mixture causes the metal to contract. In fact, it can get so tight that you may have to run your cobbler shaker under warm water in order to loosen the seal.  

 

M&C’s cobbler shakers are large enough to prepare 2-3 cocktail servings at once.

 

HOW TO USE A COBBLER SHAKER: 

  1. Fill halfway with ice
  2. Add your ingredients
  3. Put on the cocktail strainer lid and the small cap
  4. Shake it up!
  5. Pour your cocktail directly into your preferred serving glass (to double-strain, pour it into a fine-mesh strainer held above your serving glass).
  6. Garnish and glug!

 

Cocktail kits with cobbler shakers:

BOSTON SHAKER

This is the professionals’ favorite shaker - you’ll see your bartender using it when mixing drinks in your neighborhood pub. Why? It’s quick! And when you’ve got a patron-filled bar, you’ve got to churn out cocktails as fast as possible. 

 

The Boston shaker is composed of 2 parts: 

  • a small shaker tin on top
  • a large shaker tin on bottom

 

Both halves are built such that, when fit together, they form an airtight seal.. Professional bartenders will often mix drinks by using a custom-fit glass instead of the smaller metal half, in which they then serve the customer their drink. 

 

Separating the two halves of the Boston shaker can take some practice. To break the seal, give it a good thwack with the base of your hand at the point where the two halves are touching at the sharpest angle.

 

The hawthorne strainer is the best friend of the Boston shaker, which doesn’t have a built-in cocktail shaker of its own. Its coils effectively filter out pulp and ice, and you can adjust its position on the shaker’s rim to affect the flow rate of your prepared cocktail.

 

Mastering the Boston shaker takes a little practice, but man does it look cool once you’ve done it.

 

M&C’s Boston shakers are large enough to prepare 2-3 cocktail servings at once.



HOW TO USE A BOSTON SHAKER:

  1. Fill the large tin up halfway with ice.
  2. Pour your ingredients in.
  3. Place the mouth of the smaller shaker inside that of the larger shaker. Tap the bottom of the smaller shaker to seal.
  4. SHAKE!
  5. To open: smack the shaker at the point where the two shaker halves are “leaning away” from each other. Remove the smaller half.
  6. Place the hawthorne shaker, coils-down, in the mouth of the larger shaker tin.
  7. Strain your cocktail into your preferred serving glass. (To double-strain, pour it into a fine-mesh strainer held above your serving glass)
  8. Decorate and drink!

 

Cocktail kits with Boston shakers:

 

PARISIAN SHAKER

The Parisian shaker is pure elegance! Its beautiful silhouette classes up any home bar. It’s often considered a hybrid of the Boston shaker and the cobbler shaker - with a touch of French je ne sais quoi..

 

The Parisian shaker is composed of 2 parts: 

  • A large shaker tin
  • A styled lid that fits smoothly onto the tin

 

The lid and the tin of each Parisian shaker are custom-fit to each other. Like the cobbler shaker, a tight seal forms during drink mixing as the ice in your shaker makes the metal contract. When opening, a particularly tight seal can be loosened by running the shaker under warm water.

 

The Parisian shaker doesn’t have a built-in cocktail strainer. Have a hawthorne strainer handy!

 

M&C’s Parisian shakers are large enough to prepare 2 cocktail servings at once.

 

HOW TO USE A PARISIAN SHAKER:

  1. Fill the large tin up halfway with ice.
  2. Pour your ingredients in and place the lid on your tin.
  3. SHAKE!
  4. Remove the lid.
  5. Place the hawthorne shaker, coils-down, in the mouth of the shaker tin.
  6. Strain your cocktail into your preferred serving glass. (To double-strain, pour it into a fine-mesh strainer held above your serving glass)
  7. Style and sip!

 

Cocktail kits with Parisian shakers:

 

So, in summary:

The best cocktail shaker for the beginning bartender: the cobbler shaker.

The best cocktail shaker for the mixology wiz: the Boston shaker.

The best for the stylish home bartender: the Parisian shaker.

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