Boston Shaker
In contrast to 3-piece or French style cocktail shakers, the Boston shaker is a single metal shaker that is used together with an additional mixing glass. Both parts do not close flush, but tilt slightly when put together. Usually the cocktail ingredients are added to the mixing glass. Ice is added to the shaker and both parts are combined. A gentle tap on the top closes the Boston Shaker. Further, the cooled air inside then, holds the two parts together by negative pressure. After shaking, mixing glass and shaker come apart by a light sideways hit of the palm of your hand. When pouring out of the shaker, a Hawthorne strainer is usually used to filter out (strain) the ice and any seeds.
The use of a Boston shaker requires some training, but it is easy to clean and allows for a quick workflow. As a result, Boston shakers are the tool of choice for many cocktail bars and professional bartenders. In addition, the combination of a large Boston shaker with a corresponding mixing glass offers more capacity than most two-piece or Cobbler shakers, which allows mixing several cocktails at the same time, in some instances.
Boston shakers are typically made of stainless steel, but are also available in painted and coated versions. In addition to color accentuation, vinyl coated shakers also ensure a better grip.
A particularly time-saving modification of the Boston shaker is the speed shaker, where the mixing glass is the guest glass.
