Double strain

Technique

Double straining pours a shaken drink through a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer at once, catching ice chips and pulp.

Also called: fine strain · fine mesh strainer · tea strainer · double straining · fine straining

What Double strain means

You will see this step in recipes with muddled fruit, herbs or egg, since those leave bits behind. Without it, small pieces can end up in the glass. Egg adds its own bits to the drink too, so it benefits from the same step.

A tea strainer is a common choice, since most kitchens already have one. The mesh catches what the Hawthorne lets through. Ice chips left in a drink served up keep melting and dilute it. A small sieve works the same way if you have no tea strainer.

A common belief is that every drink needs a double strain. It helps shaken drinks served up. Stirred, thrown and rolled drinks rarely need it, so you can skip the second strainer for those. Keep it for the drinks that need it.

How to double strain a cocktail

You need a Hawthorne strainer for the shaker tin and a fine mesh strainer, such as a tea strainer, for the glass.

1.Place a fine mesh strainer over the mouth of the glass.
2.Hold a Hawthorne strainer on the shaker tin, and pour the drink through both strainers at once.
3.Choose a mesh fine enough to catch ice and pulp, but not so fine that it clogs.
4.Use it for shaken drinks served up, and for drinks with muddled fruit, herbs or egg.

Double strain compared

StrainA single strain uses one strainer on the tin. A double strain adds a fine mesh over the glass to catch ice chips and pulp.
Fine strainFine strain is the same step under another name. Both mean pouring through a regular strainer and a fine mesh at once.
Hawthorne strainerA Hawthorne strainer holds back ice cubes, but chips and pulp slip through it. That is why the fine mesh gets added.

Related terms

Ingredients

Put it to use in your next drink

Garçon explains every step as you make the drink.