Not to be confused with the Spanish wine-and-fruit-based alcoholic beverage sangria, sangrita (meaning “little blood”) is a traditional accompaniment to a tequila served completo; a non-alcoholic sipper that cleanses the palate between fiery doses of agave.
Years ago I was taught that sangrita is a blend of tomato and orange juices, with the addition of something spicy (hot sauce, typically) for a little kick. But further research has convinced me that this American sangrita recipe, while still enjoyable and certainly prevalent, is not altogether authentic.
Real sangrita from the Lake Chapala region of Jalisco is made with Seville orange and pomegranate juices, with powdered chiles added for heat. Taking into account that even the most cocktailian bartender (professional or otherwise) doesn’t typically stock sour oranges or pomegranate juice behind the bar, I’ve worked up a recipe that should approximate the flavor of this spicy little sour orange and pomegranate chaser while still providing an authentic experience.
1 oz orange juice (freshly-squeezed)
¾ oz - 1 oz lime juice (depending on the sweetness of your oranges)
½ oz real pomegranate grenadine
3 dashes hot sauce or ¼ tsp chile powder
Mix ingredients, chill, and serve.
This is far from the final word on sangrita. I’ll still continue to enjoy the tomato varieties (1,2,3), but I think you’ll find a brightness and depth of flavor from this version that plays better with a wider variety of mezcals and tequilas than its heavier gringo cousin.
What’s your experience with sangrita? Chime in with your stories and recipes in the comments section.
One question I'm often asked is "Do you have any drink-related book recommendations?" Well, funny you should ask, I've compiled a list of the ten books every professional bartender or home mixologist should own. I keep every one of these close at hand and have read most of them several times. I suggest you do the same.
It's always mojito season somewhere, so this advice is timely in your area about half the year. Wether you're making them or simply enjoying them, this advice will help you look like a pro in no time at all.
The flavors of the Richmond Gimlet are imbued with sunshine. Fresh mint mingling with the herbaceousness of gin and the tartness of lime have made this drink a Eugene classic for many years now.
You'll get a lot of snarky advice on this site about how to make a proper drink, but if you ever need to know what not to do, this is the video for you.
The world of booze can be mystifying to people that don't work in bars or around alcohol all the time. I hear a lot of assumptions about the industry I'm in that are - much like 90% of what you hear in bars - completely false. Here are a few you've probably heard yourself.
The debate rages on: Should we try to look cool and crack open the Boston shaker or be tidy professionals and use the Hawthorne strainer the way God intended? Be sure to leave your two cents in the comments section.
The traditional garnish for a Pisco Sour is a couple of drops of bitters in the foam, but I've never been particularly impressed with the way these few paltry drops of bitters sat in their little egg-white mattress and didn't play along with the rest of the drink. I envisioned a Pisco Sour with a uniformly-distributed bitters-scorched foam: slightly crisp as the fire burnt the sugars, and slightly warm as the foam insulated the rest of the frosty cocktail from the heat. A pisco creme brulée in a glass!
I get so many visitors looking for tips on how to write a bartending resume that I thought I should finally post a tutorial on how to write your own. Click the headline to read more.
I always love showing up to a party with a gallon jug of pre-mixed margaritas, so I've decided to share my recipe. This margarita recipe is the perfect blend of strong, sweet, and sour. But be warned: this recipe packs a serious punch.
There isn't much I can say about this video that hasn't been said already. If you've read anything I've written about cocktails, you'll understand why this video symbolizes everything wrong with the state of bartending in America today. Watch and learn, but be warned: this one isn't for the feint of heart.
About Me
My name is Jeff Morgenthaler and I'm the head bartender at Bel Ami in Eugene, Oregon.
I'm 36, I've been tending bar for 12 years and writing about it for 5. Mixing drinks has become something of a passion for me in recent years, and I strive to elevate the experience of having a drink from something mundane to something more culinary.
The writing I do here is intended as a work in progress. My recipes are like my opinions: they are constantly being revised and refined as I work them through my mind and my fingers. Comments and participation are encouraged, so please don't feel the need to tread lightly here.
Ever since I started making my own drinks at home I’ve been eyeing all my bartenders like a hawk. I’ve noticed a lot of them use the crack-open-the-boston-shaker straining technique.
What are your thoughts on this? I’m not a huge fan of it because it allows bits of ice to get into the drink and that’s just not very appetizing or pretty
Dan
Hey Dan
I tried to find a video of this for those who don’t understand what we’re talking about here, but I can’t seem to find one. If any of you have your Cocktail DVD handy, Tom Cruise pulls this move when he makes the Turquoise Blue for Gina Gershon. Anyway.
I don’t really have much of an opinion on this. I’ve asked a lot of other bartenders what they thought, and they were also fairly ambivalent. Personally, I’m so used to using a strainer that this particular flair move just slows me down. I agree with your concern that it allows bits of ice to land in what should be a non-chunky drink, but I’d be interested in hearing what others have to say.
So what do you think, internet friends? Strainer or crack?
Comments
44 Responses to “Ask Your Bartender: What’s Crackin’?”
UPDATE: I found a video that uses this technique, and I don’t know why I didn’t look at DrinksTV first.
You’ll have to sit through the whole presentation to see her straining the drink at the end, but at least you’ll get to learn how to make an awesome new cocktail.
I’m a cracker but 98% of the time I don’t leave chunks…
But yeah, if you’re going to use the Boston Shaker as your strainer too… learn to do it correctly. I don’t care either way with other bartenders unless the bartender uses the outside of the Rocks glass and tin to strain. That makes me want to blow chunks.
For speed purposes I like to use a Hawthorne strainer; As I strain I place the unneeded part of the shaker into the sink, to let it rinse under the tap as I pour.
Most people that I see using the “crack” technique usually do it incorrectly; Instead of keeping both parts of the shaker horizontal, they usually rinse both ends of the shaker causing the gap to be too big, and thus allowing large bits of ice to get into the drink.
I’ve never used a julep strainer, but we use enough mint at my bar that it would be a good idea if we did.
Alton Brown used the ‘crack the shaker’ method in his ‘Raising the Bar’ episode of Good Eats. But I think he was more making a point about not needing any ‘unitaskers’ than he was illustrating the proper way to strain a drink.
And I agree with George, most people I see doing this do it incorrectly. But I guess huge chunks of ice floating in your Fuzzy Peach Martini can’t possibly make it taste any worse.
03 Apr 2007 at 6:17 am 7. Dominik MJ
But why is this drink called Martini?
I now it is off topic - but questions are allowed???
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Thanks, Sean!
Well, you’ve heard it from the Master himself, kids, so keep using those strainers. By the way, Sean’s got a really nice Julep strainer and some other killer bar accessories for sale on his site, so definitely check them out.
Oh, Waitress, how we’ve missed you. Welcome back, my dear!
Is cracking the shaker really much faster? I mean, assuming that the goal is to pour a drink with no large chunks of ice in it, it seems to me that pouring through a large opening is faster than pouring through a small crack?
What’s the benefit of cracking the shaker? Does it have to do with not having to look for a strainer?
Here’s the scenario: Someone (probably a stripper) comes up to my bar and wants “something fruity that will fuck her up,” so I decide on a Woo-woo.
I grab my tin shaker, scoop out some ice, pour the vodka and peach, add cranberry, and grab a (FRESH) plastic cup and place it inside the tin, and vigerously shake.
Now I have one of two options: I can:
1. Pull the cup out of the tin, reach for my strainer, place the strainer over the opening of the tin, pour out drink.
OR
2. Pull the cup out of the tin only far enough to expose a small slit, pour out the drink.
Much faster.
And I don’t get ice in the drink. Nasty.
I miss you too darling, when are we getting married?
I too use the crack method, but in my defense it is the only option I have. I work at a speed bar as well and while they had strainers for the first few weeks they were open, there have been none around for the last four years. Every time we would get new ones, some stupid ass newbie would either throw them away, or they walked off. I even went as far as to bring one of mine in from home, but after that one disappeared I decided to just use what was at hand. No chunks in the drinks though - that is just poor bartending.
05 Apr 2007 at 9:52 am 14. Peter Young
Hey - fledgling bartender here.
I prefer strainers, but in some bars they have a habit of not being where you need them and when. I agree with the above poster that it’s more professional to use the proper tools (I’m not sure what a Julep strainer is, heh) but I have a certain ambivalence when it comes to different situations. I do believe that a strainer is faster, speedwise, as only a strainer lets me pour so quickly that if I’m not careful I get a cocktail fountain glass.
The lady in the video drops a chunk of ice in her cocktail ;p
First off, we have two shakers, two mixing glasses, two bar spoons, two muddlers and two strainers in every station. Losing one of your tools will result in incredible amounts of humiliation from your coworkers, as well as generally fucking up your whole mise-en-place. Organization is possibly the most important thing a good bartender’s world, so misplacing a bar tool is just not an option. So, we always know where our strainers are. Plus, 90% of the drinks we make are shaken and strained, so we’re not exactly hunting for our tools once an hour.
Cracking is not fast for me, and here’s why. It would take forever for me to strain an ice-free cocktail because when I shake a drink, I shake the living shit out of it.
I’m serious, I shake harder than anyone I’ve ever met. I pulverize drinks and get them incredibly cold in a very short amount of time. The end result is a whole bunch of little ice shards in the shaker.
Now, I know a lot of people think that a layer of ice floating on top of a drink is a mark of excellence, but I think it makes a drink look and taste like shit. In fact, I would fine-strain all of my drinks through my tea strainer if I had the time. I think drinks should be Arctic cold, and totally homogenous from start to finish. That little layer of ice chunks at the start of a drink sounds neat, but ice doesn’t taste like anything and I see it as a chunky little barrier before you can enjoy your cocktail.
I strain. My strainers are always next to my right hand, so it’s fast, efficient, and it filters out the majority of the ice.
05 Apr 2007 at 11:53 pm 16. Smach
Strain or crack? They both sound a little uncomfortable in a novice situation. I would, personally, much rather strain than crack. Less chance of utter destruction.
In my years as a bartender I’d say that cracking is faster and more stylish than straining. It’s an advanced skill. You have to learn minimize the size of the crack to prevent ice from slipping through.
Wow! I must be a bigger cocktail snob than I thought. For me, half the joy of enjoying a great cocktail is watching the bartender create a work of art in a timely, professional manner. I would much rather wait an extra two seconds for my drink watching it made traditionally and with pride than a little quicker and sloppy. No offense to the crackers, but I’ll be getting my cocktails elsewhere. This is a great topic of discussion, though.
Cheers!
04 May 2007 at 8:44 am 20. Michael
Strain it. Always strain it. As a former colleague of mine once expressed so eloquently:
“It’s about the drink, stupid.”
20 May 2007 at 6:42 pm 21. Anthony
The crack method is for amatures who don’t know how to bartend correctly. I work in a very busy fast paced martini bar and I never would dream of using the crack method. It’s too slow. The strainer is faster and smoother. Too many wanabe socalled professional bartenders are just unorganized and not set up for speed behind the bar. Keep your well organized and shakers continually rinsed and you will have no problems. If I can make 6 t0 8 different cocktails(martini’s) to perfection everytime in under 3min. using only 3 shakers and still rinse between each drink and still shake well enough to leave tiny ice crystals on top of each drink you can too.
20 May 2007 at 6:47 pm 22. Anthony
I’d have to agree with Jeffery #15 response. And Jefffery I’d bet I can give you a run for your money in the shaking dept.
I don’t know, Anthony, you’ve obviously never seen my one giant arm.
Seriously, my right arm is now bigger than my left.
I look like a crab.
15 Jun 2007 at 3:23 pm 24. Ali
Interesting article Jeff, and website…haven’t seen it in awhile.
Here is my two cents on the issue, I used to “crack” when I used two tins, a regular sized one and a cheater tin (I dont like glass, I’ve broken a couple)after using a strainer the last couple days I dont notice that much of a difference or much if any time loss.
Strainer is the way way to go.
And you do look crabby…if only at the end of your shift…ha
20 Jul 2007 at 3:19 am 25. e.b. adkins
im a bit late on this thread but ice chips in your drink are bad! bad i’s tell you. i use a julep strainer on all drinks because it lets less crap through. if i used a hawthorne strainer i would double strain.
30 Jul 2007 at 2:03 pm 26. Jeff
I’ve use both methods over the years and definitely prefer to use a strainer if I have the time.
I used to work at a speed bar where I spent my whole shift 3 to 4 deep with customers who could care less about drink quality or ice chips in their drinks (just about getting drunk). In that situation, my strainer always seems to disappear at some point and I end up cracking and straining. This is not a “flair” move, it’s a speed and necessity move.
I would never expect to see this at a bar where they cared about drink quality.
16 Aug 2007 at 2:16 am 27. Cocktailgeek
ALWAYS use a strainer. Nothing says amateur like the cheesy “egg-crack” technique. When I see it, I order a beer.
02 Sep 2007 at 3:30 am 28. John Claude
Anything with a quality higher than say…Ketel gets stirred (not shaken) and strained. Anything else get shaken and then has the glass flipped and shoved into the shaker to strain. People LOVE it as a flair move. I’ve never had one person complain in five years. They generally think it’s slick as all get out.
Someone please explain how the strainer is any cleaner than the glass that’s just been through the washer. It’s not. Get off your high horses.
02 Sep 2007 at 3:33 am 29. John Claude
Oh, and comment #19, Sean, try sharing your opinion with the 20 people behind you waiting for drinks. The quality is EXACTLY the same, strained or cracked. I’ll take fast and quality over slow and “quality” any day.
12 Sep 2007 at 8:50 pm 30. Kevin
When I first started bartending at home I cracked because I simply did not have a strainer. I did it so much infact that I can do it every time now with no ice floating on top. It’s really not hard and just as fast if you practice.
I have since of course purchased a hawthorne strainer, and honestly I don’t like it as much, it simply lets too much ice through. Maybe I should just swap to Julep strainers which seem to let even less ice through.
And as number 28 said, get off your high horses people. Yes straining looks more elegant than cracking, but if you know what you are doing it does not at all reflect the quality of the drink. As I just said, my cracked drinks have less ice (ie no ice) than my strained drinks…
Also note that I can make my strainer not have ice in it, but the only way is to pour it ssllooowwwllly which defeats the arguement (at least from personal experience) of it being faster than cracking.
24 Sep 2007 at 3:30 pm 31. Kikiyu
Actually, my bartending school trained Tom Cruise for ‘Cocktail’ and they all crack.
I’m really late to this post, but I have a funny related story. I was at a restaurant in Pasadena, California and the waiter said I should try a martini as the bartender was from New York and knew what he was doing. He said he makes his martinis with a glacier effect. I didn’t know what he was talking about until the drink arrived and I had a large layer of thin ice on the top of my drink. So he had actually created a positive sounding term to cover up his inability to strain. That was a new low for me.
Use a hawthorne strainer with a boston shaker, use a julep strainer with a stirred drink in a mixing glass. Every bar I have consultated/managed this is mandatory as it shows professionalism.
The crack method shows a lack of class, resulting in ice shards and/or shrubbery if herbs are used, floating in the drink. As far as speed, i don’t believe the crack method is faster if you are a prepared bartender. Ive seen so many crack bartenders teeter todder the shaker back and forth until they get out every last drop.
As far as nightclub bartenders that sell 5K a night, do whatever you want, cause seconds really do count! Customers should realize the enviroment they are in before getting snobby, hence I drink beer or highballs in nightclubs.
14 Feb 2008 at 2:53 pm 35. Dave Yeager
With a background in classic cocktails I used to swear by straining. Most of my career I have had a mental image of two distinct types of bartenders. Your bartenders and flairtenders. I have seen bartenders as the chefs of the bar and flairtenders as the kid throwing a pizza dough in the air at the pizza joint. Bartenders strain and flairtenders crack.
I have recently changed my mind. I opened a high end sports bar. A truly high end sports bar, our top entree is a dry aged CAB tenderloin and we offer fair all the way down to CAB hamburgers and pizza. Before we opened for the first day I thought every bartender should use a strainer every time. We opened our doors at 4pm and had sold 3,500.00 in drinks by 8pm with two bartenders. I have to be honest. At that point I probably could not even tell you what a strainer was. This experience and many nights since have changed my outlook on this matter.
But like many have said before, you can crack but don’t crack sloppy. Also if I am not too busy at that moment, I say no to crack and keep true to my heritage.
08 Mar 2008 at 8:36 am 36. Greg
I prefer to use a strainer, but I can crack pour without getting ice in a drink.
Strainers, along with bar spoons, and peelers are lost in our bars frequently.
That was until I installed a kitchen knife magnet to the underside of the bar top over each ice well.
We keep, a pairing knife, peeler, two strainers, and a bar spoon on the magnet. We never lose these items anymore, and they are even more conveniently located than if they were set on a spill mat.
Speaking about using the outside of the glass to strain from a Boston shaker. Yeah, we know the glass was clean, until the bartender touched it.
14 Apr 2008 at 1:00 pm 37. Abram
I like cracking for precisely the reason that most of the objectors dislike it. Of course it’s totally wrong to have chunks of ice floating in your cocktail glass, however I think the ever so small slivers of ice that you get on top of a shaken cocktail is what gives a “shaken” drink like a martini it’s character. Otherwise I would just ask for it stirred.
Abram, you might get a bit of grief from some readers around here for shaking a Martini in the first place. Just a heads-up!
25 Apr 2008 at 8:14 pm 39. Callum
At the bar I work in, Hawthorne strainers, bar spoons etc. go missing frequently, so I’m often forced to use the cracking method. Although I can strain fine using this method, I much prefer the Hawthorne strainer for two reasons - one being the ice issue - it’s almost impossible to crack without allowing a few shards of ice through - but secondly, when making a drink like a French Martini, it’s hard to strain out the froth, leaving the drink looking rather flat.
Hawthorne all the way!
28 Apr 2008 at 2:55 pm 40. Albert
I know that the original post’s over a year old, but I felt like chiming in mis dos centavos. And it’s been awhile since we’ve caught up.
A good question to ask yourself when it comes to stylistic flourishes is, “Would I be doing this if I were working the service-bar?” In tight spaces, where no one of consequence is watching, it’s ALL about the drink. If the answer ends up being “No”, then chances are because it sacrifices speed, precision, or quality in the work. If the answer is “Yes”, then it’s your thing, do what you want to do.
Any bartender, with time, learns how to crack the glass without letting ice chips fall. But any bartender, with organization, should be fast and efficient with their tools. Making a case for one or the other is apples and oranges in the end. Personally, I strain - Hawthorne for tin, julep for glass.
On the matter of using the “reverse-the-glass” technique - I think it’s lame. Aside from the cleanliness questions posed above, also because of how proud bartenders who do it feel after they notice you watching. If you’re going to incorporate something into your style, flair or not, do it with dignity.
13 May 2008 at 9:56 am 41. Lucas
Strain People!
I’m a liquor snob, beer advocate, and developing wine enthusiast at 25 years of age. I’ve been tending bar for 5-6 years and have been reading and exploring the trade for just as long. I think cracking is a flair move in that it involves risk. Althouth it’s never happened to me, I am still concerned that during a crack pour, between gravity and the holding angle and
condensation, the shaker could drop… on a martini glass, shot glass, etc. (Let me know if I’m alone on this) If you work at a flair bar or nightclub or your owner/mgr for whatever reason doesn’t care about breakage, then crack away. But if you work at an establishment where clientele expect professionalism, then strain. Broken glass on a bar top is not attractive. And ice just gets in the way of consuming your libation.
11 Jun 2008 at 1:10 am 42. cheinz9
How ’bout this: I’ve no problem cracking the strainer over fresh ice, and I’ll strain into a cocktail glass. There are instances when rules may need to be bent. With something as trivial as this (done correctly, obviously), I’m surprised that it even made me comment, after a year and a half.
11 Jun 2008 at 3:28 am 43. galin
Here is what I think :
1. cracking is efficient way of straining a cocktail over ice as long as you don’t have muddled fruits in your recipe
2. never use cracking to strain your cocktails that require to be served straight-up ( small chunks of ice spoil the appearance and taste of the drink) unless you have very big hands and you can actually hold the cracked boston shaker over the glass with one hand and strain your drink through fine strainer that you hold with your other hand. Straight-up cocktails should be served well chilled with no ice whatsoever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
19 Jun 2008 at 6:32 pm 44. Sam Z
Ok here’s what I think and disagree if you think I’m wrong. This is focused on the “cracking” technique.
It doesn’t come down to whether it’s right or wrong but whether it’s appropriate or inappropriate.
You should ask yourself two questions to help decide.
Is it appropriate for the drink I’m making?
Is it appropriate for the venue I’m working in?
From past experience I found that you can’t go wrong with the hawthorn but cracking does add flair to the drink. If your working in a high market cocktail bar or making a quality drink (i.e martini)you should always use a hawthorn (I double strain mine with a tea strainer) because it’s all about the drink in most cases. Where as a bar that has more of a “fun” or a “party” attitude, cracking or even the waterfall technique (google or youtube that one) is rewarding because I feel it involves the patron a little bit more and even get a “wow” at times.
I own a small library of books on the subject of bartending. Some of these books are geared toward the professional bartender, while others are written for the home mixologist. But regardless of the intended audience, almost every book I own heartily recommends that we use paring knives for cutting fruits and garnishes. […]
02 Apr 2007 at 5:17 pm 1. Jeffrey
UPDATE: I found a video that uses this technique, and I don’t know why I didn’t look at DrinksTV first.
You’ll have to sit through the whole presentation to see her straining the drink at the end, but at least you’ll get to learn how to make an awesome new cocktail.
02 Apr 2007 at 8:07 pm 2. pacificdave
I’m a cracker but 98% of the time I don’t leave chunks…
But yeah, if you’re going to use the Boston Shaker as your strainer too… learn to do it correctly. I don’t care either way with other bartenders unless the bartender uses the outside of the Rocks glass and tin to strain. That makes me want to blow chunks.
02 Apr 2007 at 9:54 pm 3. Jimmy
I agree with pacificdave! I hate the “use the outside of another glass” strainer move. Personally, i like the hawthorne or the julep strainers.
02 Apr 2007 at 10:32 pm 4. Jeffrey
Agreed, there’s something about using the outside of a drinking glass that just seems… dirty.
03 Apr 2007 at 12:25 am 5. George Sinclair
For speed purposes I like to use a Hawthorne strainer; As I strain I place the unneeded part of the shaker into the sink, to let it rinse under the tap as I pour.
Most people that I see using the “crack” technique usually do it incorrectly; Instead of keeping both parts of the shaker horizontal, they usually rinse both ends of the shaker causing the gap to be too big, and thus allowing large bits of ice to get into the drink.
03 Apr 2007 at 5:43 am 6. Jeffrey
I’ve never used a julep strainer, but we use enough mint at my bar that it would be a good idea if we did.
Alton Brown used the ‘crack the shaker’ method in his ‘Raising the Bar’ episode of Good Eats. But I think he was more making a point about not needing any ‘unitaskers’ than he was illustrating the proper way to strain a drink.
And I agree with George, most people I see doing this do it incorrectly. But I guess huge chunks of ice floating in your Fuzzy Peach Martini can’t possibly make it taste any worse.
03 Apr 2007 at 6:17 am 7. Dominik MJ
But why is this drink called Martini?
I now it is off topic - but questions are allowed???
03 Apr 2007 at 9:59 am 8. Sean Bigley
Cocktail strainers are made for a reason! The “crack” method is a flair move and should only be used as such.
Any true bartender, mixologist or bar chef would never use the crack method.
Keep the integrity of the profession and USE A STRAINER!
I’ve NEVER seen a real pro (Tony Abou-Ganim, Dale DeGroff etc..) use anything but a strainer.
Be professional, Hawthorne when pouring from the tin and Julep when pouring from the glass.
Cheers to All!
03 Apr 2007 at 2:04 pm 9. Jeffrey
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Thanks, Sean!
Well, you’ve heard it from the Master himself, kids, so keep using those strainers. By the way, Sean’s got a really nice Julep strainer and some other killer bar accessories for sale on his site, so definitely check them out.
Jeff
03 Apr 2007 at 7:03 pm 10. Waitress
I’m going to be honest; I crack.
My only defense is that I work at a speed bar, where a large number of drinks need to be made quickly. Cracking takes less time than using a strainer.
04 Apr 2007 at 12:02 am 11. Jeffrey
Oh, Waitress, how we’ve missed you. Welcome back, my dear!
Is cracking the shaker really much faster? I mean, assuming that the goal is to pour a drink with no large chunks of ice in it, it seems to me that pouring through a large opening is faster than pouring through a small crack?
What’s the benefit of cracking the shaker? Does it have to do with not having to look for a strainer?
04 Apr 2007 at 11:20 am 12. Waitress
Here’s the scenario: Someone (probably a stripper) comes up to my bar and wants “something fruity that will fuck her up,” so I decide on a Woo-woo.
I grab my tin shaker, scoop out some ice, pour the vodka and peach, add cranberry, and grab a (FRESH) plastic cup and place it inside the tin, and vigerously shake.
Now I have one of two options: I can:
1. Pull the cup out of the tin, reach for my strainer, place the strainer over the opening of the tin, pour out drink.
OR
2. Pull the cup out of the tin only far enough to expose a small slit, pour out the drink.
Much faster.
And I don’t get ice in the drink. Nasty.
I miss you too darling, when are we getting married?
05 Apr 2007 at 8:33 am 13. ADW
I too use the crack method, but in my defense it is the only option I have. I work at a speed bar as well and while they had strainers for the first few weeks they were open, there have been none around for the last four years. Every time we would get new ones, some stupid ass newbie would either throw them away, or they walked off. I even went as far as to bring one of mine in from home, but after that one disappeared I decided to just use what was at hand. No chunks in the drinks though - that is just poor bartending.
05 Apr 2007 at 9:52 am 14. Peter Young
Hey - fledgling bartender here.
I prefer strainers, but in some bars they have a habit of not being where you need them and when. I agree with the above poster that it’s more professional to use the proper tools (I’m not sure what a Julep strainer is, heh) but I have a certain ambivalence when it comes to different situations. I do believe that a strainer is faster, speedwise, as only a strainer lets me pour so quickly that if I’m not careful I get a cocktail fountain glass.
The lady in the video drops a chunk of ice in her cocktail ;p
05 Apr 2007 at 11:14 am 15. Jeffrey
So here’s what I do and think.
First off, we have two shakers, two mixing glasses, two bar spoons, two muddlers and two strainers in every station. Losing one of your tools will result in incredible amounts of humiliation from your coworkers, as well as generally fucking up your whole mise-en-place. Organization is possibly the most important thing a good bartender’s world, so misplacing a bar tool is just not an option. So, we always know where our strainers are. Plus, 90% of the drinks we make are shaken and strained, so we’re not exactly hunting for our tools once an hour.
Cracking is not fast for me, and here’s why. It would take forever for me to strain an ice-free cocktail because when I shake a drink, I shake the living shit out of it.
I’m serious, I shake harder than anyone I’ve ever met. I pulverize drinks and get them incredibly cold in a very short amount of time. The end result is a whole bunch of little ice shards in the shaker.
Now, I know a lot of people think that a layer of ice floating on top of a drink is a mark of excellence, but I think it makes a drink look and taste like shit. In fact, I would fine-strain all of my drinks through my tea strainer if I had the time. I think drinks should be Arctic cold, and totally homogenous from start to finish. That little layer of ice chunks at the start of a drink sounds neat, but ice doesn’t taste like anything and I see it as a chunky little barrier before you can enjoy your cocktail.
I strain. My strainers are always next to my right hand, so it’s fast, efficient, and it filters out the majority of the ice.
05 Apr 2007 at 11:53 pm 16. Smach
Strain or crack? They both sound a little uncomfortable in a novice situation. I would, personally, much rather strain than crack. Less chance of utter destruction.
06 Apr 2007 at 1:04 am 17. cha-chi
Crack’s and chunk’s? Reminds me of when I was 25.
06 Apr 2007 at 10:03 am 18. Trevor Smith
In my years as a bartender I’d say that cracking is faster and more stylish than straining. It’s an advanced skill. You have to learn minimize the size of the crack to prevent ice from slipping through.
06 Apr 2007 at 12:59 pm 19. Sean Bigley
Wow! I must be a bigger cocktail snob than I thought. For me, half the joy of enjoying a great cocktail is watching the bartender create a work of art in a timely, professional manner. I would much rather wait an extra two seconds for my drink watching it made traditionally and with pride than a little quicker and sloppy. No offense to the crackers, but I’ll be getting my cocktails elsewhere. This is a great topic of discussion, though.
Cheers!
04 May 2007 at 8:44 am 20. Michael
Strain it. Always strain it. As a former colleague of mine once expressed so eloquently:
“It’s about the drink, stupid.”
20 May 2007 at 6:42 pm 21. Anthony
The crack method is for amatures who don’t know how to bartend correctly. I work in a very busy fast paced martini bar and I never would dream of using the crack method. It’s too slow. The strainer is faster and smoother. Too many wanabe socalled professional bartenders are just unorganized and not set up for speed behind the bar. Keep your well organized and shakers continually rinsed and you will have no problems. If I can make 6 t0 8 different cocktails(martini’s) to perfection everytime in under 3min. using only 3 shakers and still rinse between each drink and still shake well enough to leave tiny ice crystals on top of each drink you can too.
20 May 2007 at 6:47 pm 22. Anthony
I’d have to agree with Jeffery #15 response. And Jefffery I’d bet I can give you a run for your money in the shaking dept.
20 May 2007 at 7:33 pm 23. Jeffrey
I don’t know, Anthony, you’ve obviously never seen my one giant arm.
Seriously, my right arm is now bigger than my left.
I look like a crab.
15 Jun 2007 at 3:23 pm 24. Ali
Interesting article Jeff, and website…haven’t seen it in awhile.
Here is my two cents on the issue, I used to “crack” when I used two tins, a regular sized one and a cheater tin (I dont like glass, I’ve broken a couple)after using a strainer the last couple days I dont notice that much of a difference or much if any time loss.
Strainer is the way way to go.
And you do look crabby…if only at the end of your shift…ha
20 Jul 2007 at 3:19 am 25. e.b. adkins
im a bit late on this thread but ice chips in your drink are bad! bad i’s tell you. i use a julep strainer on all drinks because it lets less crap through. if i used a hawthorne strainer i would double strain.
30 Jul 2007 at 2:03 pm 26. Jeff
I’ve use both methods over the years and definitely prefer to use a strainer if I have the time.
I used to work at a speed bar where I spent my whole shift 3 to 4 deep with customers who could care less about drink quality or ice chips in their drinks (just about getting drunk). In that situation, my strainer always seems to disappear at some point and I end up cracking and straining. This is not a “flair” move, it’s a speed and necessity move.
I would never expect to see this at a bar where they cared about drink quality.
16 Aug 2007 at 2:16 am 27. Cocktailgeek
ALWAYS use a strainer. Nothing says amateur like the cheesy “egg-crack” technique. When I see it, I order a beer.
02 Sep 2007 at 3:30 am 28. John Claude
Anything with a quality higher than say…Ketel gets stirred (not shaken) and strained. Anything else get shaken and then has the glass flipped and shoved into the shaker to strain. People LOVE it as a flair move. I’ve never had one person complain in five years. They generally think it’s slick as all get out.
Someone please explain how the strainer is any cleaner than the glass that’s just been through the washer. It’s not. Get off your high horses.
02 Sep 2007 at 3:33 am 29. John Claude
Oh, and comment #19, Sean, try sharing your opinion with the 20 people behind you waiting for drinks. The quality is EXACTLY the same, strained or cracked. I’ll take fast and quality over slow and “quality” any day.
12 Sep 2007 at 8:50 pm 30. Kevin
When I first started bartending at home I cracked because I simply did not have a strainer. I did it so much infact that I can do it every time now with no ice floating on top. It’s really not hard and just as fast if you practice.
I have since of course purchased a hawthorne strainer, and honestly I don’t like it as much, it simply lets too much ice through. Maybe I should just swap to Julep strainers which seem to let even less ice through.
And as number 28 said, get off your high horses people. Yes straining looks more elegant than cracking, but if you know what you are doing it does not at all reflect the quality of the drink. As I just said, my cracked drinks have less ice (ie no ice) than my strained drinks…
Also note that I can make my strainer not have ice in it, but the only way is to pour it ssllooowwwllly which defeats the arguement (at least from personal experience) of it being faster than cracking.
24 Sep 2007 at 3:30 pm 31. Kikiyu
Actually, my bartending school trained Tom Cruise for ‘Cocktail’ and they all crack.
24 Sep 2007 at 4:48 pm 32. Jeffrey
I guess that settles it, then!
07 Nov 2007 at 4:44 pm 33. Darryl
I’m really late to this post, but I have a funny related story. I was at a restaurant in Pasadena, California and the waiter said I should try a martini as the bartender was from New York and knew what he was doing. He said he makes his martinis with a glacier effect. I didn’t know what he was talking about until the drink arrived and I had a large layer of thin ice on the top of my drink. So he had actually created a positive sounding term to cover up his inability to strain. That was a new low for me.
14 Nov 2007 at 11:00 am 34. Cameron Bogue
strain
Use a hawthorne strainer with a boston shaker, use a julep strainer with a stirred drink in a mixing glass. Every bar I have consultated/managed this is mandatory as it shows professionalism.
The crack method shows a lack of class, resulting in ice shards and/or shrubbery if herbs are used, floating in the drink. As far as speed, i don’t believe the crack method is faster if you are a prepared bartender. Ive seen so many crack bartenders teeter todder the shaker back and forth until they get out every last drop.
As far as nightclub bartenders that sell 5K a night, do whatever you want, cause seconds really do count! Customers should realize the enviroment they are in before getting snobby, hence I drink beer or highballs in nightclubs.
14 Feb 2008 at 2:53 pm 35. Dave Yeager
With a background in classic cocktails I used to swear by straining. Most of my career I have had a mental image of two distinct types of bartenders. Your bartenders and flairtenders. I have seen bartenders as the chefs of the bar and flairtenders as the kid throwing a pizza dough in the air at the pizza joint. Bartenders strain and flairtenders crack.
I have recently changed my mind. I opened a high end sports bar. A truly high end sports bar, our top entree is a dry aged CAB tenderloin and we offer fair all the way down to CAB hamburgers and pizza. Before we opened for the first day I thought every bartender should use a strainer every time. We opened our doors at 4pm and had sold 3,500.00 in drinks by 8pm with two bartenders. I have to be honest. At that point I probably could not even tell you what a strainer was. This experience and many nights since have changed my outlook on this matter.
But like many have said before, you can crack but don’t crack sloppy. Also if I am not too busy at that moment, I say no to crack and keep true to my heritage.
08 Mar 2008 at 8:36 am 36. Greg
I prefer to use a strainer, but I can crack pour without getting ice in a drink.
Strainers, along with bar spoons, and peelers are lost in our bars frequently.
That was until I installed a kitchen knife magnet to the underside of the bar top over each ice well.
We keep, a pairing knife, peeler, two strainers, and a bar spoon on the magnet. We never lose these items anymore, and they are even more conveniently located than if they were set on a spill mat.
Speaking about using the outside of the glass to strain from a Boston shaker. Yeah, we know the glass was clean, until the bartender touched it.
14 Apr 2008 at 1:00 pm 37. Abram
I like cracking for precisely the reason that most of the objectors dislike it. Of course it’s totally wrong to have chunks of ice floating in your cocktail glass, however I think the ever so small slivers of ice that you get on top of a shaken cocktail is what gives a “shaken” drink like a martini it’s character. Otherwise I would just ask for it stirred.
16 Apr 2008 at 1:49 pm 38. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Abram, you might get a bit of grief from some readers around here for shaking a Martini in the first place. Just a heads-up!
25 Apr 2008 at 8:14 pm 39. Callum
At the bar I work in, Hawthorne strainers, bar spoons etc. go missing frequently, so I’m often forced to use the cracking method. Although I can strain fine using this method, I much prefer the Hawthorne strainer for two reasons - one being the ice issue - it’s almost impossible to crack without allowing a few shards of ice through - but secondly, when making a drink like a French Martini, it’s hard to strain out the froth, leaving the drink looking rather flat.
Hawthorne all the way!
28 Apr 2008 at 2:55 pm 40. Albert
I know that the original post’s over a year old, but I felt like chiming in mis dos centavos. And it’s been awhile since we’ve caught up.
A good question to ask yourself when it comes to stylistic flourishes is, “Would I be doing this if I were working the service-bar?” In tight spaces, where no one of consequence is watching, it’s ALL about the drink. If the answer ends up being “No”, then chances are because it sacrifices speed, precision, or quality in the work. If the answer is “Yes”, then it’s your thing, do what you want to do.
Any bartender, with time, learns how to crack the glass without letting ice chips fall. But any bartender, with organization, should be fast and efficient with their tools. Making a case for one or the other is apples and oranges in the end. Personally, I strain - Hawthorne for tin, julep for glass.
On the matter of using the “reverse-the-glass” technique - I think it’s lame. Aside from the cleanliness questions posed above, also because of how proud bartenders who do it feel after they notice you watching. If you’re going to incorporate something into your style, flair or not, do it with dignity.
13 May 2008 at 9:56 am 41. Lucas
Strain People!
I’m a liquor snob, beer advocate, and developing wine enthusiast at 25 years of age. I’ve been tending bar for 5-6 years and have been reading and exploring the trade for just as long. I think cracking is a flair move in that it involves risk. Althouth it’s never happened to me, I am still concerned that during a crack pour, between gravity and the holding angle and
condensation, the shaker could drop… on a martini glass, shot glass, etc. (Let me know if I’m alone on this) If you work at a flair bar or nightclub or your owner/mgr for whatever reason doesn’t care about breakage, then crack away. But if you work at an establishment where clientele expect professionalism, then strain. Broken glass on a bar top is not attractive. And ice just gets in the way of consuming your libation.
11 Jun 2008 at 1:10 am 42. cheinz9
How ’bout this: I’ve no problem cracking the strainer over fresh ice, and I’ll strain into a cocktail glass. There are instances when rules may need to be bent. With something as trivial as this (done correctly, obviously), I’m surprised that it even made me comment, after a year and a half.
11 Jun 2008 at 3:28 am 43. galin
Here is what I think :
1. cracking is efficient way of straining a cocktail over ice as long as you don’t have muddled fruits in your recipe
2. never use cracking to strain your cocktails that require to be served straight-up ( small chunks of ice spoil the appearance and taste of the drink) unless you have very big hands and you can actually hold the cracked boston shaker over the glass with one hand and strain your drink through fine strainer that you hold with your other hand. Straight-up cocktails should be served well chilled with no ice whatsoever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
19 Jun 2008 at 6:32 pm 44. Sam Z
Ok here’s what I think and disagree if you think I’m wrong. This is focused on the “cracking” technique.
It doesn’t come down to whether it’s right or wrong but whether it’s appropriate or inappropriate.
You should ask yourself two questions to help decide.
Is it appropriate for the drink I’m making?
Is it appropriate for the venue I’m working in?
From past experience I found that you can’t go wrong with the hawthorn but cracking does add flair to the drink. If your working in a high market cocktail bar or making a quality drink (i.e martini)you should always use a hawthorn (I double strain mine with a tea strainer) because it’s all about the drink in most cases. Where as a bar that has more of a “fun” or a “party” attitude, cracking or even the waterfall technique (google or youtube that one) is rewarding because I feel it involves the patron a little bit more and even get a “wow” at times.
To sum it up…..
There’s a time and place for everything.
Cheers,
Sam.