Yeah, that’s right, you’ve stumbled onto a blog which you’ll hope will make you seem like a fully functioning adult once you’ve learned how to use cocktail tools (we’re also still trying to be fully functioning adults, we see you!) and you know what, we’re going to try not to let you down!

Once again, we’ll impart our bountiful knowledge into your cocktail-curious brains, and hope for the best!

How To Use A Cocktail Strainer

We’re sure you’ve seen tonnes of movies (we were going to make a reference to the film Cocktail and then realised it is older than we are. Awkward), where there’s a pro Mixologists cranking out his impressive moves. The Mixologist will most likely pull out their most essential piece of armour… the Cocktail Strainer.

To keep your cocktail cool and refreshing, your Mixologist will add ice to the mix, along with any other juices and spices; all of these items aren’t something that you want to find floating in your finished cocktail, and so this is where the Cocktail Strainer comes into play.

After mixing up your cocktail, the Mixologist will place the strainer over the top of a fresh glass, and pour the mixture directly through the strainer - this stops those pesky spices, juices and ice from sloshing into your glass.

Some Cocktail Shakers will have an inbuilt strainer; however, it’s always best to use a strainer in addition to this, as it ensures that the drink is as close to perfect as possible, and helps to create that jealousy-inducing Insta pic!

How To Use A Cocktail Shaker

Quite simply, your Cocktail Shaker is like your own little witches’ cauldron, where you can add your alcohol, spices and fruits (we’ve even seen Sour Patch Kids added to a cocktail shaker and we’re still deciding how we feel about that!) to create your signature cocktail masterpiece.

To use a Cocktail Shaker, fill the tumbler to around half full with ice and then measure in your alcohol (or free pour if it’s after 2am, we don’t make the rules!). Next, add in your syrups, spices and any other questionable ingredients that you feel are acceptable to human tastebuds.

If we’re doing this the traditional, classic way, then it’s actually best to use a long handled spoon to mix up your ingredients within the Cocktail Shaker; however, if you’re like us, then the thought of missing out on the sound of a cocktail being aggressively shaken, then by all means please shake that Cocktail Shaker with as much enthusiasm as you have at the end of an exhausting week.

Finally, take your trusty Cocktail Strainer and pour the contents of the Cocktail Shaker through the Strainer into your fresh glass, et voila! 

If all of this sounds like too much effort after a busy week, we’ve put together a collection of our entire range of cocktails called The Full Bar, so you can experience the best that our Mixologists have to offer, without having to lift a finger.