Shaker: what is it, history and types

Using a good old bar shaker in our technological age is about the same as demonstrating the art of swordsmanship in the era of the dominance of firearms: not very practical, but very stylish.

What is a shaker

Cocktail shaker (aka – bar) – a device consisting of two or three containers tightly adjacent to each other.

This device is designed to mix (and simultaneously cool) the vast majority of simple alcoholic drinks with difficult to mix cocktail ingredients.

The latter include such liquid and semi-liquid substances as: fruit and berry juices, syrups and liqueurs, milk and cream, egg whites and yolks, etc.

The desired effect is achieved by shaking certain components placed in the aforementioned composite vessel 1/2 or even 2/3 filled with crushed ice.

Types of shakers

Kobbler (it is also a classic, European or Italian shaker) – a design that includes 3 parts:

1. A metal or plastic mixing glass tapering to the top (volume – 500 or 700 ml);

2. Plug-in strainer (filter);

3. Lid (may function as a measuring cap).

How to use

1. Fill mixing glass with ice;

2. Drain the melted water through the filter after cooling the vessel;

3. Open the glass again and add some ice if necessary;

4. Pour the ingredients over the ice (first – high-density and non-alcoholic, then – alcohol-containing in addition to liqueurs);

5. Close the container with a strainer and a lid;

6. Take the vessel with both hands and shake it vigorously at an angle of 45 degrees for 10 seconds (at the same time, the lid should not look towards the audience waiting for the cocktail, as well as in the face of the bartender himself);

7. Pour the contents through the strainer into a serving glass containing fresh ice if necessary;

8. Immediately disassemble and wash all components of the device.

American, Boston or just Boston shaker – has only 2 components:

1. Metal base (volume – 800 ml);

2. Glass, metal or plastic beaker for mixing (volume approx. 568 ml).

How to use

1. Fill both containers with ice;

2. Stir the ice with a bar spoon until it cools or wait for the temperature to drop naturally;

3. Shake out the ice from the mixing glass;

4. Measure the ingredients into it with a jigger, starting with less dense and alcoholic components;

5. Drain the melt water from the base through a strainer;

6. Pour the ingredients into the base and immediately insert an empty glass into it, fixing the latter with a calculated blow to the bottom;

7. Take the structure with both hands with the base down and shake according to the principle described above;

8. Separate the containers by easily deviating the glass from the vertical axis or by pressing on the junction of both components;

9. Pour the liquid from the base into the serving glass through a strainer or, with sufficient skill, through a narrow gap slightly open between the two halves of the shaker.

Antique lovers may encounter the French (or Parisian) shaker, which differs from the Boston one by having a metal bowl instead of a mixing glass.

In addition, there is, so to speak, a “cowboy” speed shaker (speed shaker), consisting of a metal base, into which the serving glasses sold with it (usually rocks) are inserted. This design can be used in those rare cases where a mixed cocktail is offered along with unfiltered ice.

History of the bar shaker

If we leave alone pre-Columbian America with its calabash and Aztecs, as well as ancient Egypt with its cocktail recipes on the walls of the pyramid of Cheops, the history of the device we are interested in should begin from the 1st half of the XNUMXth century.

According to popular lore, an American pub owner who lived at the time got bored of preparing the newly fashionable cocktails by repeatedly pouring ingredients from one container to another.

As a result, the shirt-guy at the counter once in his hearts connected two glasses of different sizes and began to shake them violently, to the delight and surprise of those present, without spilling a single drop of drink.

The idea spread to the people and already in the 1840s, mixing cocktails in this way became an everyday phenomenon.

By 1866, the first mention of a special two-piece device, which after 60 years after some minor improvements will become known as the Boston shaker.

A completely metal (unbreakable) modification of the same device in 1878 firmly settled in France and Switzerland, as a result of which the word “French” appeared in its name.

It is believed that it was on its basis that the classic cobbler was created at the beginning of the 1884th century. Although, back in XNUMX, in the same America, a shaker with a strainer built into it was patented.

The “peak” of using a shaker falls on the 20s – the 1st half of the 50s of the last century. But before the pace of technological progress, even such simple and elegant things as a cocktail shaker are not able to resist.

The mains-powered or battery-operated electric rapid firer, a cross between a mixer and a blender, eventually supplanted this bar aristocrat who felt natural in any conditions.

True, with the beginning of our century, the honored American has a new chance. Moreover, it is associated not so much with elite bars as with egalitarian nightclubs.

In particular, a fluorescent neon shaker was created especially for the latter, capable of attracting attention even in the midst of the indomitable chaos of the party.

How to choose a cocktail shaker

When choosing a device, you should categorically reject plastic dishes. They conduct temperature much worse than metal, as a result of which they do not allow to get an objective idea of ​​the degree of cooling of the container.

Never buy screw-top cobblers. With vigorous shaking, they will skip the contents. And, in general, such gizmos are not intended for entertainment drinks, but for sports mixtures.

Thus, for those wishing to make an amateur cocktail on weekends with their own hands, we would recommend a metal cobbler with a plug-in filter that allows you to minimize the loss of contents (in this case, it is probably better not to reduce the measuring cap).

The pros, even without our advice, will prefer the glass-metal Boston version.

As for bartenders with an artistic soul, they should certainly purchase both modifications: the first one is for demonstration performances, the second one is for hard everyday work.

Tips for beginners

1. In no case do not pour carbonated drinks into the shaking vessel: champagne, soda, lemonade, etc. (it will explode – you won’t wash off). All of these liquids should be added directly to the supply glass on top of the rest of the ingredients.

2. If the size of the ice for the shaker is not indicated in the cocktail recipe, put coarsely chopped ice. Finely crushed ice cools the drink in a shorter time, but at the same time it melts much faster, and when filtered, it requires an additional fine-mesh strainer – a fine strainer.

3. When preparing identical cocktails, use ice no more than twice. Although, it will be better if you are not too lazy to change it before mixing each new drink.

4. The degree of readiness of the substance is determined by the temperature of the metal flask. If the cold becomes almost unbearable, you can finish shaking without waiting for the canonical 10 seconds to expire.

5. An additional signal to stop shaking the vessel is the sound of ice moving inside. If it becomes less sonorous, then the ice began to melt, which means that the liquid must be immediately poured into a serving glass.

6. And finally, try to make your cocktails a source of evening pleasure, not a morning hangover.

Photos of different shakers

Classic shaker

Futuristic smooth shaker

Penguin Shaker

Variation of the European shaker

electric shaker

Rugby ball shaker

Shaker with indented fingers

plastic shaker

Crystal bowl shaker

Fusion shaker

shaker rocket

Gold shaker

Relevance: 17.07.2017

Tags: Encyclopedia