The squeeze bottle is the narrow-tipped bottle for sugar syrup, cranberry and the other syrups: one squeeze and the dose is in the drink. The narrow tip gives about an eighth of an ounce per squeeze. Here are the 200ml and 350ml sizes and the colours that tell you what is inside: red, yellow and clear.
Behind the bar, the squeeze bottle is the soft bottle with a narrow tip and a small cap. It holds sugar syrup, cranberry and the other syrups that go into almost every drink. You turn it over, press, and the dose drops into the tin. That press is a squeeze, and the bottle takes its name from it. It is not to be confused with the lime squeezer, the hand press for citrus: that one squeezes fruit, the squeeze bottle doses.
One squeeze is a measure
The narrow tip gives about an eighth of an ounce at a time: two squeezes make a quarter, four make half an ounce. It does not replace the jigger on the base spirits, it replaces pouring by eye on the modifiers. Check it once against a jigger, to find how many squeezes you need with your own pressure. From then on the pressure has to stay the same: that is what makes one drink match the next.
200ml or 350ml: how fast the product moves decides
The 350ml is for the syrup you use fastest, usually sugar syrup: fewer refills during service. The 200ml is for products that move more slowly or do not keep long once open, such as a fresh fruit syrup: it empties sooner and is renewed more often. The small one measures 18 x 5 x 5cm, the large one 20.5 x 6 x 6cm.
The colour says what is inside
Red, yellow and clear let you pick up the right bottle without reading the label. Each bar sets its own code: what matters is that it stays the same for the whole team, because the person working next to you reads it at a glance. The clear bottle shows the level and the colour of the product: you plan the refill before opening, and a syrup on the turn shows the day before rather than in the glass.
Keep the tip clean
Dried syrup narrows the tip, and from then on the squeeze count is set for a dose that no longer exists. At the end of service, rinse the tip separately and close the cap. Each time the contents change, wash the whole bottle with a soft sponge and mild detergent. No scourers on the clear one: scratches cloud the side.
Model
When to choose it
200ml
Syrups that move slowly or do not keep long once open
350ml
The most used syrup, with fewer refills
Clear
Level and colour of the product always visible
Red and yellow
Colour code to recognise the contents
Pieces to put on show
The Squeeze Bottle 350ml, Clear is the combination used most often for sugar syrup: plenty of product and a level you can always read from outside.
The Squeeze Bottle 350ml, Red is the large size with the colour code: you recognise it in the row without reading the label.
The Squeeze Bottle 200ml, Yellow is the small size for syrups that move more slowly: it empties sooner and is renewed more often.
The squeeze bottle works next to the jigger, which remains the measure for the base spirits. For fresh lime juice you need the citrus presses: hand presses for the single drink and lever presses for volume.
Frequently asked questions
What is a squeeze bottle?
It is the soft bottle with a narrow tip and a small cap used behind the bar for sugar syrup, cranberry and other syrups. You press it and the dose drops into the drink: that press is a squeeze. It is not a lime squeezer, which is a hand press for citrus.
How much does one squeeze give?
About an eighth of an ounce at a time: two squeezes make a quarter, four make half an ounce. Check it once against a jigger, because the dose depends on the pressure of your hand, then keep the pressure the same.
Should I choose the 200ml or the 350ml squeeze bottle?
The 350ml is for the syrup you use fastest, usually sugar syrup, and needs fewer refills. The 200ml is for products that move more slowly or do not keep long once open: it empties sooner and is renewed more often.
What are the colours of a squeeze bottle for?
Red, yellow and clear let you recognise the contents without reading the label. Each bar sets its own code, as long as it stays the same for the whole team. The clear bottle also shows the level and the colour of the product.
How do you clean a squeeze bottle?
At the end of service, rinse the tip separately, because dried syrup narrows it and changes the dose, and close the cap. Each time the contents change, wash the whole bottle with a soft sponge and mild detergent, with no scourers on the clear one.
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