Shaker is a special unit for mixing various cocktails. It can be made of plastic, glass or metal. Shakers are of two types. The name of this unit comes from the English word shake, which means “to shake”.
Types of shakers
Modern bartenders use two main types of shakers - the cobbler and the Boston shaker. The first type was especially popular in the first half of the twentieth century, it was widely used throughout Europe. Cobbler is now more common in home kitchens than in bars.
The Boston shaker is a more modern and convenient unit, its predecessor appeared at the beginning of the nineteenth century, but since then this type of shaker has been seriously improved. If the cobbler consists of a filter, a vase and a lid, the Boston shaker only includes two parts - a glass beaker and a metal base.
When choosing a shaker, do not think about looking at the plastic options, they are completely unsuitable for creating even the simplest cocktails, moreover, they tend to break very quickly. A real shaker should be made of metal, and the lid should be inserted into the glass, and not screwed onto it. This allows you not to spill the drink even with the most vigorous shaking. You should not choose models with built-in measuring cups, which are sometimes used instead of a regular lid, such variations contribute to the spillage of the cocktail.
What is the difference?
Unlike the cobbler, the Boston shaker does not have a crumb ice strainer. To fill a glass with a Boston model cocktail, it is advisable to buy a simple spring sieve that is simply applied to the glass just before filling. Purchase a separate measuring cup for accurate proportions when creating cocktails.
It is very important to choose a shaker with a steel glass also because it is this material that allows you to understand when the cocktail is ready. The shaker becomes difficult to hold in your hands when the crushed ice gives off all the cold to the liquid ingredients, which in turn chill the glass.
How to use the shaker?
The sequence of actions in the preparation of cocktails has been established a long time ago. First, ice is poured into the shaker, then dense non-alcoholic ingredients such as milk, cream or juice are poured. Alcohol is added last. After the drink is mixed and poured into glasses, an effervescent liquid is added to it - champagne or mineral water.
A shaker is needed not only for mixing liquids, with its help they are cooled to the desired temperature, so shake with a shaker very quickly so that the ice does not melt and does not reduce the strength of alcohol, otherwise the cocktail will turn out to be watery and tasteless.
