Double Straining: Why Fine Straining Elevates Shaken Cocktails

Double straining is the difference between a cocktail that looks professional and one that looks sloppy. When you shake a drink, you create tiny ice chips and pulverized citrus pulp that make it through a standard Hawthorne strainer. Those fragments cloud the drink and create an unpleasant texture.

The technique is simple: hold your Hawthorne strainer over the shaker as usual, but position a fine mesh strainer between the shaker and the glass. Pour through both. The Hawthorne catches large ice and the fine mesh catches everything else—the microscopic ice shards, mint fragments, citrus pulp, and any other particulates that would otherwise end up in the finished drink.

This matters most for cocktails served up in coupes or martini glasses, where clarity and clean presentation are expected. A Daiquiri, Margarita, or Whiskey Sour should be crystal clear with a clean foam cap if using egg white. Double straining achieves this consistently.

You don't need to double strain every drink. Cocktails served over ice don't require it since the particulates aren't as noticeable. But for anything served up, especially citrus-forward drinks, it's non-negotiable in quality bars.

The investment is minimal—a small conical fine mesh strainer costs under ten dollars and lasts years. The improvement in drink presentation is immediate and obvious. Your cocktails will look as refined as they taste, which is the entire point of proper technique.