How to use a Boston Shaker: Techniques from the Cocktail Dudes

We love the Boston shaker. We reach for it when our recipe calls for muddling an ingredient, or when we want a quick no-nonsense chilling device. You'll need to become adept at "cracking" the shaker (opening it just enough in the horizontal position to allow the cocktail to flow out around the ice) or use a julep or Hawthorne strainer to hold back the ice and other non-liquid ingredients as you fill your cocktail glass. The Boston shaker consists of a thick-walled "pint" glass and a slightly larger diametered stainless steel "tin" which tops the glass. Your ingredients (and ice) are placed into the glass; the glass gets snugly topped with the tin; and the joined pieces are inverted and shaken. After shaking, the joined shaker is placed on the bar with the tin on the bottom. The glass is released by sharply smacking the tin near its top while bracing the tin against the lip of the glass on the opposing side.