When you're picking out a cocktail strainer for your home bar for the first time, the Hawthorne, julep, and fine mesh usually all show up on your shortlist. But they differ noticeably in the bar tools they pair with, the bits they can catch, and the cocktails they handle best. That makes it worth knowing which one actually fits the way you mix.
Below, we'll start with a quick look at all 3 strainers, then compare their strengths and weaknesses in terms of what they filter out and where each one fits. By the end, you'll have a clearer sense of which ones are worth getting first, and which you can add later as the need comes up.
Jump to:
- The 3 Main Types of Cocktail Strainers
- Hawthorne vs Julep vs Fine Mesh Strainers
- Which One Do You Need?
The 3 Main Types of Cocktail Strainers
Before we get into the comparison, here's a quick look at all 3 cocktail strainers.
Hawthorne Strainer
The Hawthorne strainer is the most common one in modern bars, and it's often paired with a Boston shaker. It's made up of a perforated metal plate with a spring wrapped around its edge. The spring adapts to bar vessels of different diameters, which makes it both flexible and reliable.
It's used by setting it over the mouth of the shaker tin. As you pour, the plate holds back larger solids like ice cubes and fruit chunks, while the liquid flows out through the gaps between the coils of the spring.
Julep Strainer
The julep strainer looks like a spoon or a small bowl covered in holes, and it's the traditional partner to a mixing glass. To use it, you slip it into the mixing glass at an angle, letting its curved edge hug the inner wall of the cylindrical vessel as it presses against the ice to strain.
Fine Mesh Strainer
The fine mesh strainer has a tightly woven mesh, which lets it catch finer bits like ice shards, seeds, and herb fragments for a smoother finished drink. It's usually not used on its own. Instead, you hold it above the serving glass and pair it with a Hawthorne or julep strainer to double strain.
Hawthorne vs Julep vs Fine Mesh Strainers
All 3 strainers separate solids from the liquid, but they differ in how finely they strain and how widely they can be used.
| Hawthorne | Julep | Fine Mesh | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How It's Used | On its own, or with a fine mesh | On its own, or with a fine mesh | With another strainer for double straining |
| Common Pairing | Boston shaker | Mixing glass | Hawthorne or julep |
| What It Catches | Ice and larger solids | Ice and larger solids | Fine ice shards, pulp, and herbs |
| Strength | Versatility | Simple design | Fine straining |
| Example Drinks | Margarita, Daiquiri | Martini, Manhattan | Drinks with fine debris |
Pros and Cons of the Hawthorne Strainer
The Hawthorne strainer has 3 main advantages.
- Versatile. Its spring conforms to the openings of bar vessels in all sorts of sizes, which means it isn't limited to a Boston shaker. It works with a mixing glass or other vessels too. So whether you're making a shaken drink like a Margarita or a stirred one like a Manhattan, it can handle the job.
- Fairly fine straining. It relies mainly on the spring to strain. On models with tightly wound coils in particular, the gaps are small enough to catch smaller bits like ice shards and mint leaves.
- Flexible to work with. As you pour, you can press on the spring to narrow the gap between it and the shaker tin, giving you control over the flow rate and how finely it strains.
It's close to perfect and widely favored, but that doesn't mean it has no drawbacks.
- With a mixing glass that has a pour spout, setting a Hawthorne strainer over the opening can leave a sizable gap at the spout, letting some solids slip through as you pour. When that happens, you'll need to rotate the mixing glass and pour from the side without the spout.
- No matter how tightly the coils are wound, it can't fully strain out fine, non-chunky ingredients like fruit puree.
- Even though many models now have a removable spring, cleaning is still a bit of a chore. After use, you have to rinse out every gap between the coils to keep juice or syrup from building up.
Pros and Cons of the Julep Strainer
The julep strainer really shows its value when paired with a mixing glass.
- Because it strains from inside the mixing glass, you don't have to worry about the pour spout, which is exactly why the two work so well together. That makes it a natural fit for stirred cocktails like a Manhattan.
- Its structure is very simple, with no hard-to-reach spots, so it's easy to clean after use.
Its drawbacks:
- Since it relies on your index finger to stay in place, a grip that isn't firm enough can let the ice in the glass knock it loose and cause a spill. It may take some practice before you get the hang of it.
- Its holes are on the larger side, which makes it better suited to catching ice and bigger solids. For a drink like a Martini, with no complex fine ingredients, it handles the job with ease. But with recipes heavy on muddled herbs or seeds, its limits show pretty clearly.
Pros and Cons of the Fine Mesh Strainer
This one plays more of a supporting role, and it's typically used alongside a Hawthorne or julep for double straining. When a recipe clearly contains fine pulp, muddled herbs, or ice shards, it adds a finer level of straining that keeps those small bits from ending up in the glass and affecting the texture and appearance.
That extra precision isn't always a good thing, though. It can change the texture and overall flavor that some recipes are meant to have. And when speed and convenience matter, some bartenders will simply skip the double strain. So it's really only worth reaching for when you want a cleaner, smoother result.
Which One Do You Need?
For most home bartenders, the Hawthorne strainer is the one worth getting first. It pairs with a Boston shaker and handles most shaken cocktails, and it works with a mixing glass when you need it to. On top of that, it's easy to use with almost no learning curve, so everyone from beginners to professionals reaches for it regularly.
A julep strainer isn't essential, but it's worth adding if you often use a mixing glass for stirred drinks. It pairs more naturally with a mixing glass, and it's closer to the traditional way these drinks have always been made.
As for the fine mesh strainer, if you only mix a cocktail for yourself now and then and aren't chasing an ultra-silky texture, it's optional at best. And since it wasn't made solely for bartending, you can often find one already sitting in your kitchen, so there's no need to go out and buy one.
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