Here's a fun fact: the julep strainer was the first cocktail strainer ever made. It predates the Hawthorne by decades.
In today's cocktail culture, though, it has become something of an afterthought. When most people think of a strainer, the Hawthorne comes to mind first. But paired with a mixing glass, the julep strainer still holds its own, helping you turn out drinks that look clear and taste clean.
So let's take a closer look at what it is, where it came from, and how to use it.
Jump to:
- What Is a Julep Strainer
- The History of the Julep Strainer
- Julep vs. Hawthorne: What's the Difference
- How to Choose a Julep Strainer
- How Do You Use a Julep Strainer
What Is a Julep Strainer
A julep strainer is a bowl-shaped straining tool with a handle, commonly paired with a mixing glass and used for stirred cocktails. It's usually made of stainless steel, and it looks a lot like an oversized spoon covered in closely spaced holes.
To use it, you slip it into the vessel at an angle so it sits inside. The curved shape naturally hugs the inner wall of a cylindrical container, holding back ice and other larger solids while the liquid passes through the holes for a smooth finish.
Its holes are on the larger side, so its precision is limited with recipes that contain fine pulp or puree. That makes it best suited to drinks without fine sediment, like a Manhattan or a Martini.
The History of the Julep Strainer
How It Got Its Name
The julep strainer takes its name from its early association with the Mint Julep.
In the mid-1800s, some bars would drop it right into a Mint Julep packed with crushed ice. Drinkers used it to hold back the ice and mint leaves so none of it ended up in their mouth. That's why it earned its name.
So it actually started out serving the customer rather than the bartender. Only later did it gradually move into straining and come to be regarded as the first dedicated cocktail strainer. Before it came along, straining was more often done with tea strainers and spoons.
It's worth noting that it was originally called an ice spoon, and the name "strainer" only came into common use later on.
Early Uses
Some sources also point to two specific traditional uses:
Protecting the teeth: Dental care back then was nowhere near what it is today, and many people struggled with sensitive teeth. A julep strainer held the crushed ice back in the glass, keeping it from knocking against or irritating the teeth and easing the discomfort of drinking.
Protecting the mustache: The mid-to-late 1800s happened to see a surge in mustache popularity, worn as a mark of a gentleman's character and social standing. A julep strainer let customers enjoy their drink neatly and with a bit of dignity, keeping their mustache from getting soiled or soaked.
How Its Role Changed
Over time, the julep strainer made the move from the front of the bar to the back of it.
One account goes like this: as crushed ice drinks like the Mint Julep slowly fell out of fashion, cocktails that needed straining, such as the Martini, rose to take their place. That shift in drinking trends moved the julep strainer out of the customer's hands and into the bartender's, turning it into a dedicated straining tool. By then paper straws had also caught on, and the old habit of holding ice back at the glass faded further into the past.
Julep vs. Hawthorne: What's the Difference
The core differences between these two strainers come down to their design, how they work, and where each one fits best.
Julep Strainer
As noted above, the julep is bowl shaped, or spoon shaped if you prefer, and covered in holes. It's the traditional partner to a mixing glass. That's because when you set it into a mixing glass at an angle, its curved edge matches the inner wall of the glass, sealing the ice inside and holding it back while the liquid flows out through the holes as you pour.
There's another factor. A mixing glass usually has a pour spout, and if you strain by capping the top of the container the way a Hawthorne does, that spout leaves a sizable gap where bits can slip through. The julep's sit-inside-the-glass approach solves that problem cleanly.
This is exactly why it pairs so well with a mixing glass and stirred cocktails.
Hawthorne Strainer
The Hawthorne has a spring, and that spring is its main means of straining. It's more often paired with a Boston shaker. Set over a shaker tin, it covers the entire opening, and as you pour, the liquid flows out through the gaps in the spring while the solids stay behind in the tin.
Models with a tighter spring coil, in particular, strain a bit more finely than a julep. The spring's flexibility also lets it settle naturally into containers of different sizes, which makes it more adaptable and versatile. It's easier to handle, too, since it doesn't demand the specific angle and grip a julep needs to stay steady.
So in most bartending situations, you'll find professional bartenders reaching for a Hawthorne more often, and if you asked them to pick just one, it would most likely be the Hawthorne.
How to Choose a Julep Strainer
When shopping for one, here are the main things to look at.
Size
A julep strainer’s bowl is usually around 3 inches (about 8 cm) across, allowing it to fit most standard mixing vessels. At this size, the bowl is slightly smaller than the vessel it sits inside, so it slides smoothly into place without scraping the sides while still fitting closely enough to hold back the ice.
If the bowl is much larger, it won’t fit inside the vessel; if it’s much smaller, it leaves a wide gap that allows ice to slip through.
Handle
Handles come in two styles, straight and bent. The straight handle is the more common design and tends to feel more natural in the hand.
A bent handle, by contrast, can rest against the rim of a mixing vessel for added stability. However, because the bend is fixed, it may not work equally well with every vessel. Once you’ve gotten the hang of using a julep strainer, that added stability may also feel less important.
Material
Go with 18/8 (304) stainless steel. This food grade material is safe, won't lend any off flavor to your drink, and is solid and durable, so a single one will hold up to regular use for years.
How Do You Use a Julep Strainer
Step by Step
- Mix your drink in the mixing glass.
- Slip the julep strainer into the glass at an angle of roughly 20 to 30 degrees, with the edge of the bowl resting against the inner wall.
- Rest the handle against the pour spout and hold the strainer in place with your index finger, wrapping your other fingers around the glass for a steady one-handed grip.
- Hold that position and pour slowly until all the liquid has been strained.
The grip can take some practice because you’re relying mainly on your index finger to keep the julep strainer in place. On top of that, a mixing glass tends to be heavy, typically weighing around 1 to 1.5 pounds (450 to 700 grams) before you even add the drink. Beginners can find it hard to keep everything steady with that combination of weight and grip. If your grip shifts even slightly during the pour, the liquid and ice can push past the strainer and spill out.
When you’re starting out, place the strainer in an empty mixing glass and practice the grip a few times. When you pour, adjust the angle gradually rather than tipping the glass to a steep angle all at once.
Which Way the Bowl Faces
Generally speaking, the more common and comfortable approach is to position the bowl facing into the glass, with the concave side in and the convex side out. This is the approach we’d recommend. It lets the strainer settle naturally over the ice and cup the ice in place.
Some bartenders go the other way, though. They find that with the bowl facing out, the ice presses down on the strainer as you pour and makes the whole setup feel more stable.
In the end, it comes down to personal preference, so try it both ways a few times to find what best suits your habits.
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