Associate Editor Miye Bromberg evaluates the performance of a Hawthorne strainer.
Once you have stirred or shaken your cocktail, place the strainer over the shaker, spring side in. Make sure that the strainer’s wings or prongs are sitting securely on the edges of the shaker—you shouldn’t have to hold it in place at this point.
Wrap your hand around the mouth of the shaker and place your index finger on the tab found on the head of the strainer. Press down and against the strainer with your finger, narrowing the gap between the springs and the shaker. Pour into the glass of your choosing.
Strainers with more closely spaced coils (right) did a better job of filtering out ice and herbs such as the mint in these cocktails.
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