Boston Cocktail Shaker with Rubber Sleeve
Updated: Feb 15
When first getting into cocktail mixing you likely bought one of those shakers, historically known as a cobbler shaker. It was all metal and had a strainer built into the top. My guess is that you used it once or twice to come to realize that it leaked terribly and getting the lid off the strainer was a feat of Herculean proportions. You may have even pulled so hard that your libation went flying all over your guests.
To mix shaken Craft Cocktails you really need something you can feel confident about shaking vigorously, that won't leak, and you know you will be able to open when ready. The vessel of choice for Cocktail Craftsman is known as the Boston Shaker.
A Boston Cocktail Shaker is a simple stainless steel tin that you can put on top of a pint mixing glass. It creates a seal and you shake. The nice thing about the Boston is you can use any standard pint glass for mixing.
Review
In this article, we'll be reviewing the Boston Shaker from BARsics (pictured above). It is a 26-fluid-ounce Stainless Steel tin with a 16-ounce mixing glass (pint glass). We are reviewing this shaker because of its unique rubber sleeve.
Good seal - It performs as you'd expect. Mix your ingredients in the included pint glass, put the tin on top, and start shaking. We did not experience any leaks. We also tried the tin with other standard pint glasses without issue. 👍
Good grip - Let's face it when you are shaking it like crazy, sometimes we get a little overzealous. With the rubber grip on this tin, you have a little added confidence that you can shake away! This we feel is positive. 👍
Doesn't get your hand cold - These metal tins can get quite cold if you are doing it right. The rubber sleeve gives a layer of protection from the cold. Now while this sounds like a good thing, the way to know if you have shaken your cocktail enough is by the feel of the tin. The chill tells you it is ready. Because of the sleeve, you don't get this tactile indicator. So we deemed this is a negative for this shaker. 👎
Included mixing glass - This set includes a 16-ounce (pint) mixing glass. It has a good thick glass bottom and is a standard pint glass. 👌
Overall: We recommend this Boston Cocktail Shaker from BARsics. We feel that the additional grip outweighs the lack of feel for the "done" indicator. For experienced Cocktail Craftsmen who have a "feel" for how long to shake this negative becomes a non-factor. 👍
History of the Cocktail Shaker
It is said that the first cocktail shaker was actually invented in South America. Gourds were used as early as 7000 BCE for the purpose of mixing drinks. According to explorer Hernando Cortez, they looked like, "golden cylinder-shaped containers."(9)
The first modern description of the cocktail shaker is given credit to George Foster in 1848 when he described a julep pouring out of a tin cup. By the 1850s an all-metal shaker had become standard equipment behind the stick. (9)
In Jerry Thomas' 1862 book, "How to Mix Drinks," we learned that not only are tins used by professionals but they had become popular in mixing at home as well. "Every well-ordered bar has a tin egg-nog 'shaker,' which is a great aid in mixing."(5)
As time went on, there were many variations of the metal mixing tins. The two-part metal French shaker and later Parisian were developed in Britain. The three-part metal shaker with a built-in strainer called the Cobbler shaker was patented by Edward Hauck in 1884.(9)
The name Boston shaker didn't come into existence until sometime after prohibition. It was the first to use a stainless steel container in conjunction with a pint glass for mixing. Nowadays the Boston shaker has become the preferred professional shaker for Cocktail Craftsmen. (9)
Get this recommended Boston Cocktail Shaker yourself, now on Amazon > HERE.
Cheers!