Straining

Fine Mesh Strainer

A fine mesh strainer is a small, round sieve, 7cm across in Urban Bar’s own Fine Strainer and up to 9cm in the ones we use, held under a Hawthorne strainer to double strain a shaken drink. It catches the ice chips, citrus pulp and herb fragments the Hawthorne lets through, so a drink served up arrives clean. Our recipes double strain nearly every shaken drink served up, the Daiquiri and the Clover Club among them, and some poured over a large cube.

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A fine mesh strainer with a small, round bowl of woven steel mesh in a steel rim, a long wire handle and a small hook on the opposite side, on a white background.

The tool

About the Fine Mesh Strainer

Two Strainers at Once

Double straining means pouring a shaken drink through the Hawthorne on the tin and a fine mesh strainer held underneath. The Hawthorne holds back the ice. The mesh catches what slips between its coils: small chips of ice, citrus pulp, shreds of mint and ginger.

Our Recipes Double Strain Most Drinks Served Up

Almost every shaken drink we serve without ice is double strained, including the Daiquiri, the Paper Plane and the Clover Club. Some poured over one large cube are too, such as the Penicillin, where chips would melt into the surface.

A drink poured over crushed ice usually skips it, since the glass is already full of small pieces of ice.

Strainers compared

Hawthorne

Catches: Ice and large pieces
Used for: Shaken drinks
Notes: The coil fits most tins

Fine mesh

Catches: Ice chips, pulp, herbs
Used for: Under the Hawthorne
Notes: 7-9cm across

Julep strainer

Catches: Ice
Used for: Stirred drinks
Notes: Sits inside a mixing glass

Tea strainer

Catches: Ice chips, pulp
Used for: In place of a fine mesh
Notes: Clogs on a large drink

Strainer	Catches	Used for	Notes
Hawthorne	Ice and large pieces	Shaken drinks	The coil fits most tins
Fine mesh	Ice chips, pulp, herbs	Under the Hawthorne	7-9cm across
Julep strainer	Ice	Stirred drinks	Sits inside a mixing glass
Tea strainer	Ice chips, pulp	In place of a fine mesh	Clogs on a large drink

Small, Fine and Stiff

A strainer of 7 to 9cm sits neatly across a coupe or a tumbler. Look for a weave so fine the holes are hard to see, and a stiff rim that keeps the bowl round.

Hold it close to the glass and tap the rim gently as you pour. Pressing pulp through with a spoon puts it back in the drink and stretches the mesh.

Rinse It Before It Dries

Wet pulp rinses out in seconds. Pulp or egg white left to dry needs soaking and brushing, and repeated scrubbing pulls the weave out of shape.

Using it

Using the Fine Mesh Strainer

Usage

Double straining, held under a Hawthorne strainer as a shaken drink is poured. Our recipes do it for almost every shaken drink served up, such as the Daiquiri, the Paper Plane and the Espresso Martini, and for some poured over one large cube, the Penicillin and the Honey Sour among them.

Pro Tip

Pour in one steady stream and keep the strainer moving with a light tap. A stalled pour leaves a pool sitting on the mesh, and the last of the drink drips in slowly and warm.

Professional Tips

Hold it low over the glass so the drink does not splash off the mesh.
Tap the rim gently as you pour to keep the drink moving.
Rinse it straight away, before pulp or egg dries in the weave.
Use it under the Hawthorne, never instead of it.

Alternatives

Budget Alternative

A small tea strainer with a fine mesh does the same job. Avoid large kitchen sieves, which overhang the glass.

Premium Option

A heavier strainer with a reinforced rim and a tighter weave. In our experience it keeps its shape through years of daily use; the drink comes out no different.

Specifications

Material
Stainless steel mesh in a steel rim
Capacity
Not applicable
Details
A round bowl of fine woven mesh, 7cm across in Urban Bar’s own Fine Strainer (20cm overall) and up to 9cm in the ones we use, on a long handle with a small hook opposite to rest on a glass

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is double straining?

Pouring a shaken drink through two strainers at once: the Hawthorne on the tin, and a fine mesh strainer held between the tin and the glass. The Hawthorne stops the ice; the mesh catches the small chips, pulp and leaf fragments that slip between its coils.

When should you double strain a cocktail?

Our recipes double strain nearly every shaken drink served without ice, and some poured over one large cube, the Penicillin for one. Drinks with fresh citrus, muddled fruit, herbs or egg white gain most. Our Bramble, poured over crushed ice, skips it.

Can I use a tea strainer or kitchen sieve instead?

A small tea strainer works well. A large kitchen sieve usually does not: the mesh is coarser and the bowl overhangs the glass, so the drink runs down the outside. Judge a strainer by how fine the mesh is, not by its price.

Does double straining take away flavour?

No. It takes out solids, not dissolved flavour; the juice and oils are already in the drink by the time it is poured. What it removes is the material that would settle in the glass or spoil the surface of a drink served up.

Why are there ice chips in my cocktail?

A hard shake breaks the edges off the cubes, and a Hawthorne strainer lets the small pieces through. They float on a drink served up and thin it as they melt. A fine mesh strainer held under the Hawthorne catches them.

Should you double strain an Espresso Martini?

Yes, as our recipe does. A hard shake breaks off plenty of small ice chips, and in a drink served up they sit in the foam and melt into it. Double straining leaves a smooth, even head on the drink.

Do you double strain a drink with egg white?

Yes. Most of our egg white sours are dry shaken, shaken again with ice and double strained, so the foam is smooth and free of ice chips. Hold the mesh close to the glass so the foam does not break up as it lands.

What is the right way to clean a fine mesh strainer?

Rinse it under the tap as soon as you have used it, before pulp or egg white dries. Brush the back of the mesh to clear the weave rather than scraping the front. Most steel ones survive a dishwasher, but rinse first so egg does not set in the mesh.

Sources.

Correct as of 18 October 2026.

Urban Bar, “Fine Strainer 20cm” (7cm fine mesh head).

Master the Technique

Strain twice for a drink served up How to double strain a drink

Make something

Made with the Fine Mesh Strainer

Used In These Cocktails

Paper Plane Penicillin Yellow Jacket Honey Sour Daiquiri

Related Equipment

Updated 18 October 2026

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