Bar spoon

Tool

A bar spoon is a spoon with a long, thin handle for stirring drinks, and its bowl holds about 5 ml.

Also called: barspoon · mixing spoon

Bowl volume: about 0.17 oz (5 ml), the same as a teaspoon
Stir time, one drink: 20 to 30 seconds
Longest usual stir: 30 to 45 seconds

What bar spoon means

Stirred drinks are usually built in a mixing glass, and the bar spoon turns the ice through it. Its long, thin handle reaches the bottom of the glass and spins easily, so the whole mass of ice moves together. You meet the tool in recipes that say to stir a drink for 20 to 30 seconds.

It sounds right that a bar spoon holds a quarter of an ounce. Most hold about 0.17 oz (5 ml), roughly a sixth of an ounce, and bowl size varies by maker. If a recipe needs an exact small amount, measure with a jigger instead.

Shops and recipes also call it a barspoon or a mixing spoon, so both names are correct. The long handle helps here too, since you can hold the spoon steady over the drink while you layer and keep your hand clear of it.

How to use a bar spoon

Plenty of ice and a steady wrist do most of the work when you stir with a bar spoon.

1.Fill the glass about two-thirds with fresh ice, then pour in the ingredients.
2.Press the back of the bowl against the inside wall, then spin the spoon smoothly around the edge so the ice turns as one mass.
3.Keep stirring for 20 to 30 seconds with standard cubes. Few drinks need more than 30 to 45 seconds.
4.To layer, hold the spoon just above the surface and pour the second liquid slowly over the back of the bowl.

No bar spoon? Without one, a teaspoon works for a short stir, but its handle is harder to spin around a mixing glass.

Bar spoon compared

TeaspoonBoth hold about 5 ml. The bar spoon's long, thin handle reaches the bottom of a mixing glass and spins easily.
MuddlerSome bar spoons end in a small disc for light pressing or layering. A muddler is heavier and made for fruit.

Related terms

Put it to use in your next drink

Garçon explains every step as you make the drink.