Straining

Julep Strainer

A julep strainer is a shallow perforated metal bowl, about 7 to 8cm across on the ones we use, on a short handle, used to strain stirred drinks out of a mixing glass. It sits inside the glass, face down on the ice, and holds the cubes back while the drink pours past. It serves stirred drinks such as the Bamboo, the Martinez and the Boulevardier.

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A stainless steel julep strainer: a shallow round bowl with evenly spaced holes, on a flat handle with a hanging hole.

The tool

About the Julep Strainer

A Bowl With Holes

There is little to it: a shallow perforated dome with a short handle, sized to sit inside a standard mixing glass at an angle.

That simplicity is the appeal. A Hawthorne has a spring that wears, a gate that slides and a rim that has to press evenly. A julep strainer has a bowl. It cannot lose tension, and it rinses clean in a second under a tap.

It is also the more comfortable tool to pour with once learned, because the hand holding the glass and the hand controlling the strainer are the same hand.

The Name Comes From the Julep

By the usual account, it was not designed to strain anything. It was there to keep crushed ice out of a drinker's teeth.

A nineteenth-century julep arrived packed with crushed ice, and the perforated bowl sat in the cup as a guard. As straws took over, the guard was no longer needed, and bartenders found the shape well suited to holding cubes back while pouring off a stirred drink.

Julep for Stirred, Hawthorne for Shaken

The division follows the method rather than taste.

The reason is the ice. Stirring keeps cubes whole, and a julep bowl holds whole cubes well. Shaking shatters them, and small fragments slip straight past the perforations, which is what a Hawthorne's spring is there to catch.

Julep, Hawthorne and fine strainer compared

Julep

Fits: Inside a mixing glass
Holds back: Whole cubes
Use it for: Stirred drinks

Hawthorne

Fits: Over a tin or a mixing glass
Holds back: Cubes and most shards, with its spring
Use it for: Shaken drinks, and stirred ones at a pinch

Fine strainer

Fits: Held under a Hawthorne
Holds back: Shards, pulp and herb fragments
Use it for: Double straining shaken drinks

Strainer	Fits	Holds back	Use it for
Julep	Inside a mixing glass	Whole cubes	Stirred drinks
Hawthorne	Over a tin or a mixing glass	Cubes and most shards, with its spring	Shaken drinks, and stirred ones at a pinch
Fine strainer	Held under a Hawthorne	Shards, pulp and herb fragments	Double straining shaken drinks

A Hawthorne will strain a stirred drink well, so a home bar that owns one needs no julep at all. Bars keep both because the julep is quicker and tidier on the drinks it suits.

Holding It Properly

Domed side up, face down onto the ice, angled so the low edge points at the spout. Index finger flat on the handle, thumb braced against the rim of the glass.

That grip means the strainer and the glass move together as one object, so you can tilt to a near-vertical pour without the bowl shifting. People who find julep strainers awkward are usually holding the handle like a spoon and letting the bowl float.

Stir for 20 to 30 seconds first, as our stirred recipes do, then pour steadily rather than fast. The drink comes around the edges of the bowl, and rushing it pushes ice against the perforations.

Using it

Using the Julep Strainer

Usage

Straining stirred drinks from a mixing glass. The bowl cups the cubes and holds them back while the drink pours around its edge, and because it sits inside the glass rather than clamping over it, the pour is controlled by how far you tilt.

Pro Tip

Index finger flat on the handle, thumb on the rim of the mixing glass. Glass and strainer then tilt as one, and the bowl stays seated through the whole pour.

Professional Tips

Face down, domed side up, low edge towards the spout.
Index finger on the handle, thumb braced on the glass rim.
Tilt the glass and strainer together; do not slide the strainer.
It is not made for a shaker tin. Use a Hawthorne there.

Alternatives

Budget Alternative

A Hawthorne strainer held over the mixing glass does the job, so a home bar with one Hawthorne does not need a julep strainer.

Premium Option

Thicker steel with a rolled rim. It holds its shape for years and sits more securely in the glass.

Specifications

Material
Stainless steel
Capacity
Not applicable
Details
Shallow perforated bowl, about 7 to 8cm across on the ones we use, on a short handle; Urban Bar’s own julep-style strainer is 22cm long overall

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is a julep strainer for?

Straining stirred drinks out of a mixing glass. The perforated bowl sits inside the glass, face down over the ice, and holds the cubes back while the drink pours around it. It is not designed to fit a shaker tin.

Why is it called a julep strainer?

By the usual account it began as a guard for the julep. A nineteenth-century julep came packed with crushed ice, and the perforated bowl sat in the cup so the drinker could sip without a mouthful of it. Bartenders later turned the same shape to straining.

Julep or Hawthorne strainer?

Julep for stirred drinks, Hawthorne for shaken. Stirring keeps cubes whole and a julep bowl holds them easily; shaking breaks them, and the fragments slip through, which is what a Hawthorne's spring catches. One Hawthorne covers both at home.

How do you hold a julep strainer?

Domed side up, face down on the ice, low edge pointing at the spout, with your index finger flat on the handle and your thumb braced on the glass rim. Strainer and glass then move as one, so you can tilt to a steep pour.

Can you use a julep strainer on a shaker?

Not well. It is sized for a mixing glass, so it sits loose in a tin, and shaking breaks ice into shards that pass through the holes. Use a Hawthorne for shaken drinks, and add a fine strainer where our recipes say double strain.

Does a julep strainer fit every mixing glass?

Most fit a standard mixing glass, but openings vary. The bowl should rest a little way down inside the rim without dropping through. Measure the opening before you buy a strainer on its own.

How long do you stir before straining?

Our stirred recipes call for 20 to 30 seconds over cubed ice in the mixing glass. That chills and dilutes the drink without thinning it. Then seat the julep strainer and pour into the chilled glass.