Hawthorne Strainer Deluxe Vintage, Satin Stainless Steel

For the bartender who strains dozens of drinks a night in front of the guest and wants a strainer that takes the work without throwing reflections. The satin finish does not show fingerprints and does not mirror the bar lights. On a tool held high above the glass, at the moment everyone is watching, that is the difference people see. Otherwise the Hawthorne strainer deluxe vintage is the Hawthorne as it has always been: it sits on the tin, the index finger holds it, it keeps back the ice.

Deluxe is the maker’s name for the series with more generous metal: the body does not bend when pressed hard onto the tin and the spring keeps its tension for longer. In the deluxe series the perforated plate is raised into a dish and the spring is tighter, so the strainer centres itself on the mouth of the tin and the spring works all around the rim. Vintage is the finish: stainless steel evenly satin-brushed, with no mirror polish. It is not plating and it is not paint, so it does not flake: it is the surface of the metal itself.

• Material: stainless steel, satin finish
• Spring: 360°, around the rim, tight coil
• Series: deluxe, dished plate and heavier gauge than the standard model
• Length: 25cm
• Width: 14cm
• Weight: 200g
• Tabs: none, held with the index finger
• Use: straining shaken drinks, on the tin and on the mixing glass

One finish across the bar station

A polished strainer among satin tools looks as out of place as the reverse. The Hawthorne strainer deluxe vintage is the strainer of the vintage finish station: it sits alongside the Vintage Boston Shaker & Half Tin pair, the Vintage Pro Jigger 30/60ml and the 500ml vintage cobbler. A bar that works in full view is usually fitted out in a single line, and the strainer is the piece most on show, because it works up high.

The spring is the part that wears

That goes for every Hawthorne. Over time the spring stretches, loses tension and starts letting small shards through, and it happens gradually: the drink gets cloudy without the person making it noticing. In the deluxe series the wire is a heavier gauge and the tension lasts longer, but the check is the same: take the spring between two fingers and let go. If it stays away from the body, the strainer has done its job.

The movement, and the mistake that dilutes the drink

The strainer sits with the spring inside the tin and the index finger presses on the body to set the gap: the harder you press, the tighter the mesh and the less gets through. Pour without pressing and ice shards drop into the glass, where they keep melting and take the cocktail off spec. On drinks served up, the Daiquiri, the sour, the Margarita, it shows at once. To fine strain, add a fine strainer over the glass: it does not replace the Hawthorne, it follows it.

Care

Bare stainless steel with no coating: dishwasher safe. On a satin finish limescale shows less than on a mirror surface, but it does show: rinse and dry by hand at the end of service. Rinse straight after drinks with egg white or thick syrups, which dry between the coils of the spring and then only come off by hand. Marks from use blend into the satin grain instead of standing out as they would on a polished piece.

Choose the Hawthorne strainer deluxe vintage if

If you work in front of the guest with satin or dark tools and want the strainer from the same line, built to last. If you want a mirror finish, the same series has a polished stainless steel Hawthorne. For black, there is the matt black Hawthorne. For the vintage finish on the standard model, with a flat plate and a looser spring, there is the Hawthorne strainer vintage. The straining technique is the same for all four.

FAQ

What is the difference from the Hawthorne strainer vintage? The series. That is the standard model in the vintage finish; this is the deluxe series, with a dished plate, a tighter spring and heavier metal.

Does the satin finish scratch? It is satin-brushed stainless steel, not paint: marks from use blend into the surface instead of standing out as on a polished piece.

Is the Hawthorne strainer deluxe vintage dishwasher safe? Yes. Drying by hand keeps limescale off.

Does it have tabs? No, it is held with the index finger on the rim of the tin.

Does it work on a mixing glass? The spring adapts to different mouth diameters, so it works there too. For stirred drinks the right strainer is still the julep, which sits inside the glass and does not agitate the drink.

How much does the Hawthorne strainer deluxe vintage weigh? 200g over 25cm: the weight is in the body, which stays seated on the tin instead of wobbling as you tilt it.

Dispatched from Rome, Italy. Hawthorne, julep and fine strainers are compared in the strainer category.