Double straining means passing a shaken cocktail through two strainers: a Hawthorne strainer held over the shaker tin, and a fine mesh strainer held over the glass. The Hawthorne catches large ice chunks; the fine mesh catches the fine ice chips, citrus pulp, and any herb fragments that make it through. The result is a perfectly clear, smooth drink with no floating particles and no ice shards that would dilute the drink unevenly as they melt.
Why It Matters
A single-strained drink often has ice chips floating in it — small fragments that break off during shaking and slip through the Hawthorne. In a glass served up (no ice), those chips melt and dilute the drink unevenly. Double straining keeps the drink exactly as it was when it left the shaker.
Where You'll Use It
Any cocktail served up (without ice in the glass): Daiquiris, Gimlets, Sidecars, Cosmos, and any sour served in a coupe.
Worth Knowing
Fine Strain
Fine straining refers specifically to the use of a fine mesh strainer — the second strainer in a double strain. The term is sometimes used alone to mean any straining through a fine mesh, including when straining infusions, clarifying liquids, or removing solids from a batch cocktail.