Cr(af)ted Tools
Fine-Mesh Strainer
A fine-mesh strainer is a small handheld sieve you hold over the glass while you pour, catching the tiny ice shards, citrus pulp, and herb fragments a Hawthorne strainer lets through. Using it is called double-straining, and it is the difference between a pour that looks homemade and one that looks finished.
Why it earns its place
Hard shaking shatters ice into fine slivers that float in the finished drink, melting fast and muddying a clean cocktail. A fine-mesh strainer catches them, along with pulp and herb bits, so a shaken sour or an espresso martini pours crystal clear with a smooth, even foam on top. For alcohol-free drinks, where presentation carries a lot of the perceived quality, it is a small tool that punches above its weight.
When I reach for it
Whenever you shake a drink served up with no ice in the glass, anything with egg white or a coffee foam, and any muddled drink you are straining off the solids. Hold it over the glass and pour through it and your Hawthorne strainer at once.
Where people usually go wrong
Skipping it on a shaken, served-up drink. Without the second strain, ice shards float on the surface and melt within a minute, watering the drink down and breaking the foam.
"I keep a small fine-mesh strainer, around three inches across, hanging next to the shaker. Small enough to handle one-handed, fine enough to catch the smallest shards."
If you're only going to buy one
Small Fine-Mesh Strainer, 3 inch
A tea-sized fine-mesh strainer is all you need. Look for a sturdy rim and a hook to rest it on the glass. It is one of the cheapest upgrades in the bar.
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Questions I hear a lot
What is double-straining?
Double-straining means pouring a shaken drink through both your regular Hawthorne strainer and a fine-mesh strainer at the same time. The Hawthorne holds back the ice cubes, and the fine mesh catches the tiny shards and pulp that slip through, giving a clean, clear pour.
When do I need to double-strain?
Any time a drink is shaken and served up, with no ice in the glass, double-straining keeps ice shards from floating on top and melting. It also matters for egg-white and coffee drinks, where you want a smooth foam, and for muddled drinks, to catch herb and fruit bits.
Can I use a kitchen tea strainer?
Yes. A small fine-mesh tea strainer works perfectly and is exactly what many bartenders use. You just need a mesh fine enough to catch small ice shards and a size you can hold comfortably over a glass while you pour.