A Boston Shaker

Recommend: A Bar Above Boston Shaker Set

You’ve mastered the Old Fashioned (a stirred drink), but now you want to make a Whiskey Sour, a Gold Rush, or a Paper Plane. These drinks have citrus, egg white, or other ingredients that need to be shaken, not stirred.

Trying to use a "Cobbler" shaker (the all-in-one kind with the built-in strainer and little cap) is a recipe for frustration. The top gets frozen shut, the strainer is terrible, and they leak everywhere. There’s a reason no professional bar uses them.

What It Is: A two-piece cocktail shaker, usually made of one large (28 oz) metal tin and one smaller (18 oz) metal tin. (Sometimes the small piece is a "pint glass," but "tin-on-tin" is better).

Why You Actually Need It: It’s the professional standard. It creates a better, more reliable seal. It's easier to break open (with a solid "whack" on the side). It has more room, which creates a better "froth" (emulsion) on drinks like a Whiskey Sour. And it’s much, much easier to clean.

How It Makes Your Whiskey Experience Better: It opens up a whole new world of whiskey cocktails. It’s durable, effective, and will be the last shaker you ever have to buy.

What to Look For:

"Tin-on-tin": Get a set with two metal tins. They seal better and won't break like the glass-and-tin versions.

"Weighted": A good set will have "weighted" tins, which makes them more stable and balanced when shaking.

Don't forget a strainer: A Boston shaker requires a "Hawthorne Strainer" to pour the drink. They are often sold as a set.