Hawthorne Strainer Venus #1, Stainless Steel, Three-Position Handle

A Hawthorne has a straight handle and a single angle. On a Boston tin that works; on a wide mixing glass the handle ends up too high or too low, and on a Parisienne the strainer does not sit where it should. The bartender makes up for it with the wrist, or keeps two different strainers on the bar top. By the fifth stirred drink in a row, a wrist bent to hold a badly seated strainer level is what slows service.

The two bends in the Venus handle move the point where the index finger rests. The same strainer adapts to the mixing glass, the Boston shaker and the Parisienne by changing grip, not wrist. Lumian puts it this way: three working positions, for any mixing glass or Parisienne shaker.

The spring is the part that holds back ice and pulp. On the Venus #1 it is stiff enough to stay seated and flexible enough to follow rims of different diameters: that is what lets it work on mixing glasses and shakers of different sizes without changing tool. Pressing the spring against the rim with the index finger closes the gap and the drink comes out cleaner; easing off, it comes out faster.

Lumian recommends the Venus #1 for throwing, pouring the drink from one vessel to another at a distance: the strainer holds the ice in the starting vessel while the liquid falls in a long stream. In throwing the strainer is held with two fingers at arm’s length, and a handle offering more than one grip helps find the right one for the height of the throw.

Specifications

• Type: Hawthorne, with spring
• Length: 18.5cm
• Weight: 135g
• Material: stainless steel
• Finish: silver
• Handle: two bends, three working positions
• Design: Luca Procacci, registered design, exclusive to Lumian
• Dishwasher safe: not stated by the maker, hand wash
• MPN: Lumian L0376
• EAN: 8051511372683
• Pack quantity: 1

The Venus strainer alongside the Mercury

The Lumian Mercury Hawthorne strainer has the same length, 18.5cm, and the same weight, but a straight handle: it is the choice for bartenders who almost always work on the same vessel. The Venus is for the station that moves from mixing glass to Boston in the same round. To fine strain, hold the mesh strainer under the Hawthorne. All the models are in the cocktail strainer category.

In bars with several stations it makes sense to have one per bartender, so nobody waits for a colleague’s strainer.

The more you buy, the less you pay: 4 pieces -5%, 6 -7%, 8 -10%, on the same item.

Care

Hot water and mild detergent at the end of service, with a small brush between the coils of the spring, where pulp and sugar collect. Dry straight away and leave it open to air, not shut in a damp drawer. The maker does not state that it is dishwasher safe: hand washing is the careful choice.

FAQ

What are the two bends in the handle for? They give three working positions: the same strainer sits on the mixing glass, the Boston and the Parisienne.

How long is the Venus #1? 18.5cm, and it weighs 135g.

Who designed it? Luca Procacci, exclusively for Lumian. The design is registered.

Can I fine strain with it? Yes, with a mesh strainer held underneath in the other hand.

Dispatched from Rome, Italy.