Cocktails - Equipment Required/Methods

Throughout my research, a number of things came up that was needed to actually make the cocktails, so I see this as a necessary of information that I need to include. As well as actions/methods.





Mixing Glass
"The mixing glass looks a lot like the glass part of a Boston shaker but is normally wider and bigger. In the mixing glass you stir your Vodkatinis with lots of dry ice, and strain the drink into cocktail glasses. The mixing glass can be replaced with any large, clean, and tall glass vessel." (link)

"Traditionally when one referred to a mixing glass, it usually meant the pint glass of the Boston shaker. For many years this was the vessel of choice for making a stirred cocktail and it’s still the most popular choice in American bars. Recently, however, a product from Japan has floated to our shores that’s gotten all the cocktail geeks hot and bothered. It’s a mixing glass made with a traditional Japanese “Yarai” weave pattern, and it’s head and shoulders above the traditional pint glass for stirring drinks." (link)

"A mixing glass is commonly partnered with a Boston shaker. It simply fits tight in to the top of the shaker to form a seal and allows you to shake the contents of the shaker without spilling a drop. The lipped mixing glass allows you to mix cocktails without a shaker, using a spoon to stir/mix the cocktail." (link)

"A mixing glass or stirring glass does what its name says. It is used to prepared cocktails that contain light ingredients and do not require of a hard shake but a light stir only. They come in different materials such as: glass or plastic and looks such as: clear, printed with recipes or measurements and brands of popular drinks. In this glass you will be able to stir ingredients with or without ice and then using the bar strainer." (link)

"The mixing glass is an age-old bartending tool, used to build and stir classic cocktails like the Martini and the Manhattan." (link)


Cocktail Shaker
"Cobbler Shaker - The cobbler shaker has three parts: a tin part, a strainer and a lid. The main advantage is that the strainer is built in. Fill the tin part with ice and ingredients. Put the strainer and lid on. Shake until the tin part is cold and misty. Open the lid and pour the drink into a glass." (link)

"Boston Shaker - The boston shaker is used to mix as well as chill the drink ingredients. It consists of two parts, a mixing glass and a tin glass. Fill ice and liquids in the mixing glass. Put the tin part on top of the mixing glass. Then press it lightly to make sure there is no gap between it and the glass. Shake. You need an additional strainer to trickle the mixed drink into a glass." (link)

"Cocktail shakers are an essential part of most cocktail recipes. As the name suggests, a cocktail shaker is used to mix ingredients together by shaking them up in a sealed container before serving the drink. Once the cocktail has been shaken is is often poured through a strainer to ensure no larger solid ingredients are poured into the final drinking glass. There are 2 main types of cocktail shaker, the Boston Shaker, and the Cobbler Shaker.

Boston Shaker: The Boston Shaker consists of 2 parts - a metal cup and a glass or plastic cup. The Boston Shaker is the preferred shaker of professional bartenders because the 2 parts simply slot together rather than fixing together. This reduces the time it takes when preparing a cocktail for customers, or for a professional flair show. The 2 parts can even be used separately for stirring or muddling ingredients. The glass/plastic cup is always the smaller part of the Boston Shaker so that it can snugly fit in the metal cup to create a temporary seal when shaking. The Boston Shaker will require the use of a separate strainer (e.g. Hawthorne Strainer or Julep Strainer) when pouring out the drink so no larger solid ingredients are poured by accident. Some professional bartenders will narrowly separate the 2 cups to create a small gap through which the drink can be strained.

Cobbler Shaker: The Cobbler Shaker consists of 3 parts - a cup, a lid with a built-in strainer, and a cap. Because the lid and cap are designed to be fixed tightly (sometimes even screwed together), a Cobbler Shaker is not recommended for professional use because of the time consumption when removing these parts. Aimed at the domestic market, the Cobbler Shaker can come in a variety of materials, shapes and sizes. Full metal Cobbler Shakers are common, while the cup can also be made from glass or plastic. Because the lid of a Cobbler Shaker has a built-in strainer to catch larger ingredients, there is no need to use a separate Hawthorne or Julep strainer." (link)

"Get mixing cocktails with our wide range of cocktail shakers. From professional cocktail shakers to domestic cocktail shakers, you’ll soon be creating cocktails in no time. Whether you’re shopping for a large cocktail shaker or small cocktail shaker, pink cocktail shaker or black cocktail shaker, we’ve got it covered!

The Boston Cocktail Shaker is the perfect bartender cocktail shaker, offering far more versatility when shaking cocktails. This two-part cocktail shaker makes the perfect flair cocktail shaker and is designed to be used with a cocktail strainer. The Boston Cocktail Shaker Glass is available with a variety of Boston Cocktail Shaker Tins in different styles.

Perfect for use at home, our range of cobbler cocktail shakers are designed to take the fuss out of cocktail making. Each three piece cocktail shaker features an in-built cocktail strainer in the lid and are ideal when following cocktail recipes. The perfect gift for any cocktail lover, our selection of cocktail shakers are available with fast UK delivery.

Our range of cheap cocktail shakers includes novelty cocktail shakers and designer cocktail shakers, such as Waterford cocktail shakers and Arthur Price cocktail shakers. Available in a variety of different styles, our range of cocktail shakers feature stainless steel cocktail shakers, acrylic cocktail shakers, plastic cocktail shakers and double wall cocktail shakers." (link)


"A cocktail shaker is a device used to mix beverages (usually alcoholic) by shaking. When ice is put in the shaker this allows for a quicker cooling of the drink before serving. A shaken cocktail is made by putting the desired ingredients (typically fruit juices, syrups, liqueurs and ice cubes) in the cocktail shaker. Then it is shaken vigorously for around 5 to 10 seconds, depending upon the mixability of the ingredients and desired temperature." (link)


Blender
"An electric mixer, or blender, is a good thing to have when making frozen drinks. Or experimenting with milkshakes, for that matter. Using crushed ice in the machine make the drinks smoother." (link)


Ice
"Always use a lot of ice
What’s the key to a good cocktail party? The answer is: you can never have too much good ice. Ice is used in 85% of all drink. This is how you make and handle it to perfection.

Prepare ice
The easiest way to prepare ice is to use plastic or silicon ice forms. Fill the forms with water and place them in the freezer. You can also buy plastic ice bags that you fill with water and put in the freezer.

At the party
To prepare for a party, fill your freezer with as much ice as you can. If you buy it, try to have it the delivered right before your guests arrive. You can also fill the kitchen sink with ice. Have the outlet open. And of course, remember to clean the sink thoroughly before you fill it with ice.

In the glass

Always have new, fresh ice in the glass. The leftover ice in the shaker is melted and consumed, thus no good. The sole purpose of the ice is to keep the drink cold. Avoid at at all costs to let melted ice water down the drink. Use cold glasses and fill them up with as much ice as you can.

Crushing it
Ice can be crushed in a lint-free towel using a saucepan or a mallet. You can also crush the ice in the metal part of a shaker with a muddler.

In the shaker
Always fill the shaker with as much ice as possible together with whatever you want to shake. Shake it fast and furiously 6-7 times to chill and mix the ingredients quickly and roughly. When the metal part of the shaker is misty you are done.

In the mixing glass or martini pitcher

Always use as much ice as possible. Gently stir and fine-strain it so that no parts of the ice fall into the drink.

Handling it
Never use your hands. Metal or plastic ice scoops make it easy to fill glasses quickly. Tongs are particularly useful in the homely bar to move one ice cube at a time.

The perfect ice
In a perfect world every party host would have fresh, dry, solid, crystal-clear ice at home. However, making such ice is not an easy task. Start by boiling pure, preferably filtered, water (you can use a Brita filter or something similar). Then slowly freeze it in big blocks. You can also use a silicon form that makes one big cube. To keep the cube cold in the glass, it should be well frozen all the way through. Without any cavities, mind you. You keep it dry simply by keeping it cold." (link)


Shake
"There are two types of shakers: the boston shaker and the cobbler shaker. They share the same function and it is merely a matter of taste which one to use. The boston shaker is more common in bars. This type of shaker requires an additional strainer. The advantage of the cobbler shaker is that it has a built in strainer. But for the rest of this lesson we will use the boston shaker." (link)


Stir
"Most martinis are stirred not shaken. The reason for this is that you want to keep the beautiful transparency of the martini intact. When you shake a drink in order to chill it, the drink will inevitably become non-transparent. This is just an effect of the laws of physics.

 Judging by the Martini mythology you should go easy on the vermouth when making a Martini drink. Whether you want to keep your Martini dry by using very little vermouth or not is, however, a matter of personal taste. Regardless of the amount you choose to use, vermouth will add taste and clarity. Thus, you don't need be shy to experiment with the proportions between vodka and vermouth." (link)