All the Cool Kids use Shakers - Tiki Drinks and Food

A AceExplorer Grand Member (8 years) Deep in the Jacksonville Flori-duh jungle. Joined: Apr 03, 2008 Posts: 2564	A AceExplorer Posted posted on Thu, Jul 7, 2016 11:44 AM I used to buy the "Boston" type shakers, and when I did, would not buy any of them without taking it to the bathroom and doing a test over the sink with water. Some of the nicer Boston shakers I've seen are more for show and really leak around the top. So I eventually switched completely to using 28oz shakers and pint glasses. The secret to using a 28oz tin and a pint glass is to ensure that the two, when mated, have one edge completely on the same plane vertically. That is to say, the "cap" pint glass on one side is exactly straight with the bottom shaker tin. You get a nice tight (and sort of an oval) seal in the tin if you give the "cap" a good downward hit before you begin to shake. Then when you are done, you give the pint glass a solid slap from the side to ensure it breaks the seal free. Practice a bit, then you'll look like many of the pros. I'm guessing there are YouTube videos out there about this. I'm going to switch to using weighted shakers -- 28oz capacity with a 93mm opening for the mixing tin, and 18oz capacity for the cap. They're very inexpensive from one of the online bar supply stores who manufacture their own shakers overseas. Today these are priced at $2.22 for the weighted tin, and $2.68 for the weighted cap. This is a good deal! I like to keep five of each handy at my bar in case I make a drink which has components not easily rinsed from the tins in the course of an evening, like drinks which are shaken with Coco Lopez and contain natural coconut oil. The stainless shaker combo has the advantage of not using glass which could be dropped and shatter, or be set down too aggressively, or be fumbled, on granite bar tops and also shatter. Weighted vs. non-weighted is a topic for a whole new post, and it is a personal preference. One more thing, the stainless tins tend to stack nicely, and this is important for compactness reasons in my portable bartending road kit when I go out to spread my liquid happiness. Hope that explanation is clear and that these things help.

I used to buy the "Boston" type shakers, and when I did, would not buy any of them without taking it to the bathroom and doing a test over the sink with water. Some of the nicer Boston shakers I've seen are more for show and really leak around the top. So I eventually switched completely to using 28oz shakers and pint glasses.

The secret to using a 28oz tin and a pint glass is to ensure that the two, when mated, have one edge completely on the same plane vertically. That is to say, the "cap" pint glass on one side is exactly straight with the bottom shaker tin. You get a nice tight (and sort of an oval) seal in the tin if you give the "cap" a good downward hit before you begin to shake. Then when you are done, you give the pint glass a solid slap from the side to ensure it breaks the seal free. Practice a bit, then you'll look like many of the pros. I'm guessing there are YouTube videos out there about this.

I'm going to switch to using weighted shakers -- 28oz capacity with a 93mm opening for the mixing tin, and 18oz capacity for the cap. They're very inexpensive from one of the online bar supply stores who manufacture their own shakers overseas. Today these are priced at $2.22 for the weighted tin, and $2.68 for the weighted cap. This is a good deal! I like to keep five of each handy at my bar in case I make a drink which has components not easily rinsed from the tins in the course of an evening, like drinks which are shaken with Coco Lopez and contain natural coconut oil. The stainless shaker combo has the advantage of not using glass which could be dropped and shatter, or be set down too aggressively, or be fumbled, on granite bar tops and also shatter.

Weighted vs. non-weighted is a topic for a whole new post, and it is a personal preference.

One more thing, the stainless tins tend to stack nicely, and this is important for compactness reasons in my portable bartending road kit when I go out to spread my liquid happiness.

Hope that explanation is clear and that these things help.

Post #765914 by AceExplorer on Thu, Jul 7, 2016 11:44 AM