Cobbler shakers

The difference from a Boston shaker lies in the strainer. With a Boston, you shake in two separate cups and then strain with a separate strainer, which is faster and leaves more room for ice. The cobbler has the strainer built in, so you set it down, pour, and you're done. For home use and smaller quantities, that convenience outweighs the speed. In terms of capacity, 50 cl is the right size for one to two cocktails at a time: about twelve centiliters of liquid plus ice filling it three-quarters full. When it comes to the finish, it is mainly about the coating. Stainless steel is untreated and the most indestructible; copper, gold, and black have a coating that looks sleek but requires more care. For other types, see the cocktail shakers.

First fill the cup three-quarters full with ice, and only then add your ingredients, not the other way around; cold spirits mix better. Put on the strainer lid, press it on firmly and always keep one hand on the cap while shaking, because the metal contracts in the cold and the lid can come off. Shake hard and briefly for ten to fifteen seconds, until the outside becomes frosted. Anything containing juice, egg or cream should be shaken: a daiquiri, a cosmopolitan and an espresso martini get their foamy layer only that way. Then remove the cap and pour out in one smooth motion.

The classic complaint about a cobbler is a cap that will not come off after shaking. It is nearly always the cold: leave the shaker to stand for half a minute or hold the seam under warm water and it releases by itself. Prying deforms the rim, and after that it never closes properly again. Rinse the three parts straight after use, because sugar syrup sticks in the holes of the strainer. Wash coated models by hand and without a scouring pad. Store the shaker taken apart, so no moisture is left standing inside.

A shaker is the starting point. For more precise measuring, use one of the jiggers, and stir anything that should be stirred rather than shaken with a bar spoon in a mixing glass. You’ll find the glass you pour into among the cocktail glasses, and get the fresh lime used in almost every shaken cocktail from one of the citrus presses, which catch the seeds immediately.