The Key Characteristic To Look For In A Hawthorne Strainer

Shaking up a tipple in a cocktail tin? Then you're likely using a Hawthorne strainer — or at least, you should be. These flat, hole-punched metal strainers lined with a coiled spring are essential for shaken cocktails. You might use a julep strainer for cocktails out of a mixing glass because it's a bit of a better fit, but if you only invest in one strainer for your home bar, a Hawthorne strainer can promise flawless cocktails — provided it's a particularly good model, of course. And the key characteristic in determining a good model is a tight coil. The space between each loop starts at about half a millimeter, but can be as wide as a few millimeters. The tighter that coil, the better its seal on a shaker and the less solids that get into your final drink.

Hawthorne strainers are especially key in drinks served "up" that get shaken with ice but then poured into a glass without it. Shaking a cocktail with ice creates an extra cold finish, and requires these strainers to then block any ice from getting into the glass. This goes for any other solids you're shaking in your drink for flavor, from fruits to botanicals. That tight spring is crucial for this, and while a more widely spaced coil will still be able to stop ice, it may let things like pulp through. It's got to really lock in a seal around the shaker or mixing glass in order to keep all those solids out.

There are a few other factors that come into play when judging the best Hawthorne strainer. Some have no prongs, while others have two or four prongs. Hawthorne strainers run from about three to five inches wide, and those prongs provide greater versatility by helping smaller strainers fit wider shakers and mixing glasses. These strainers also have tabs you can hit to push the strainer into a tighter lock over the shaker. You can let the strainer loosely filter the cocktail for ice, or lock it in to keep even finer solids out. Look for strainers with tabs closer to the handle as they're easier to reach and hold while you pour.

Handles vary, too, and this might be a matter of the best fit for the size of your hand and your pouring technique. In general, though, a shorter handle makes for an easier grip. A longer handle could throw your strainer off balance and cause it to slip when you pour. Of course, all these elements only perform their best with a tightly coiled strainer for that perfect seal, ready to keep your next perfectly balanced whiskey sour or frothy espresso martini smooth.