After you have finished stirring a cocktail, you will need to strain it into your desired drinking vessel. The appropriate strainer for stirred cocktails is the Julep strainer. Julep strainers can be held either facing up or down, it is simply a matter of preference. Most Julep strainers these days are designed with this variation of preference in mind, with little notches to ease the grip in both directions. Let's go!
Stir your cocktail until you have reached your desired dilution ratio.
Then take your Julep Strainer and insert it into your Mixing Beaker either facing up or down (try both and see what feels comfortable to you!).
Strain your cocktail into your selected glassware by holding the Julep Strainer and Mixing Beaker with both hands, or you can secure the strainer and the beaker with one hand and gently pour. To do this, hold both the Julep Strainer and your Beaker in your dominant hand. You can wrap your pointer finger around the front of the Julep Strainer's handle and rest the remaining fingers behind around the Mixing Beaker and practice lifting both items together. Be sure to use your pointer finger to secure the strainer in place, by applying pressure to the stem of the Julep Strainer to keep the tool snug in the Mixing Beaker.
That’s it! If your particular cocktail is served with ice, top with fresh cubes and garnish. Cheers.
tips for straining stirred cocktails
Some bartenders think the Julep Strainer is unnecessary and will use their Hawthorne Strainers to strain all types of cocktails, shaken and stirred!
Did you stir up a drink but don't have a strainer in sight, Julep OR Hawthorne? Do you have a slotted spoon in your kitchen? That will do! Place the spoon over your mixing beaker or pint glass to hold back the ice and serve your cocktail! We here at Cocktail Courier want you to have the best tools possible, but we also know that drink making can happen anytime and anywhere. We want you to be able to shake/stir your way to success no matter what tools you're using!
