The Hawthorne strainer in two lines
This is the Hawthorne strainer in its plainest form: stainless steel, a spring running 360° around the edge, no prongs. It sits on the mouth of the tin and strains.
Who it is for
For anyone who shakes. It is the strainer that goes on the mouth of the tin so you can pour the drink and leave the ice behind: without it, the cocktail lands in the glass with everything that was in the shaker, cubes included.
The spring does the work
Running 360° around the edge, it adapts to tins of different diameters and acts as a barrier: it holds back the cubes and lets the liquid through. It is also the part that decides the life of the tool, because it is the part that gives. It stretches, loses tension and starts letting small pieces through, and the change is gradual: a regular user does not notice, because there is no single day when it stops working.
Specifications
- Material: stainless steel
- Spring: 360°
- Prongs: none, held with the index finger
- Use: straining shaken drinks
- Fits: tins and mixing glasses of different diameters
- Dishwasher safe: yes
No prongs, and why that is not a flaw
Prongs rest the strainer on the rim so it stays still on its own. This model has none, so you hold it with your index finger pressed on the edge: one less thing to learn and one less part that can bend. In return, when the other hand is busy, it needs holding with care. That is why versions with two or four prongs exist too.
Which strainer, of the three
There are three and they do not replace each other, because each sits in a different place. The Hawthorne sits on the tin and is for shaken drinks. The julep goes inside the mixing glass, on the ice, and is for stirred drinks. The fine strainer is held over the glass on top of either of the other two and stops what gets through anyway: shards, pulp, seeds. A station working the classics has all three, and none of them costs much.
Where it lives during service
On the bar top next to the tin, not in the ice well and not in the sink. In the ice well it leaves behind whatever it has strained; in the sink it disappears under the suds and you notice it is gone when you need it. A tidy bartender gives it a fixed spot, as with the jigger, so the hand finds it without looking.
The move, and the most common mistake
Rest the strainer with the spring facing into the tin and press the finger tab with your index finger to set the gap: press and it tightens, and less passes; ease off and more passes. Pour without pressing and ice shards drop through, melt in the glass within seconds and dilute the drink beyond the recipe. On a cocktail served up, you taste the difference by the second sip.
Care
Bare stainless steel, so the dishwasher is fine with no precautions. Rinse it straight after drinks with sugar or egg white, because the residue dries between the coils of the spring, the hardest part to clean later. The regular check is always the same: pinch the spring between two fingers and see that it is still tight against the body.
FAQ
What does the Hawthorne strainer sit on? The mouth of the tin, with the spring facing inwards.
Does it have prongs? No, you hold it with your index finger on the edge: it is the plain version.
Does it work on a mixing glass too? Yes, the 360° spring adapts to rims of different diameters.
Is it dishwasher safe? Yes, it is stainless steel with no plating to wear.
When should it be replaced? When the spring stretches and starts letting small cubes through.
Is the Hawthorne enough on its own? For shaken drinks, yes. For drinks with fruit or egg white you also need a fine strainer, held over the glass as you pour.
The more you buy, the less you pay: 4 pieces -5%, 6 -7%, 8 -10%, on the same item.
Dispatched from Rome, Italy. 15-day returns, free of charge. Questions before you order? Message us on WhatsApp on +39 351 929 6937.
The three strainers are compared in the cocktail strainer category.
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