Parisian Shaker
A two-piece all-metal shaker with a curved body and a fitted cap, and no built-in strainer. It is the French answer to the same problem the Boston and the cobbler solve, and looks are a large part of why people buy it.
Alternatives
Budget Alternative
Entry stainless Parisians (£15-25)
Premium Option
Japanese-made (£40-60): the object, perfected
Care & Maintenance
Care Instructions
- Hand-wash and dry the rims
- Store the cups nested but unsealed
Expected Lifespan
- •Decades; nothing on it can break
Usage
Shaking any cocktail with citrus, egg or dairy: sours, Daiquiris, Margaritas. Around 500 to 700ml. Used with a separate Hawthorne strainer, exactly as a Boston shaker is, since the cap carries no strainer of its own.
Two Pieces, No Strainer
A tall curved tin and a smaller cap that seats over it. That is the whole tool. There is no built-in strainer and no separate lid, which puts it between the two-piece Boston and the three-piece cobbler.
The curve is functional as well as decorative: the profile guides the ice into a circulating path rather than letting it rattle straight up and down, which chills and aerates slightly more evenly.
It is sometimes called a French shaker, and turns up in bar catalogues under both names. The design is broadly Art Deco in origin and has never really gone away in France.
Against the Boston
The Boston shaker, a large tin with either a smaller tin or a mixing glass, is what most professional bars use, and for volume work it is better. It is faster to seal and break, it holds more, and a stuck Boston can be freed with a firm strike at the seal line.
The Parisian seals metal on metal along a longer contact surface, which grips harder and can be genuinely difficult to open after a vigorous shake, particularly if the metal has contracted around a cold drink.
What it gains is elegance and a smaller footprint. For a home bar making two drinks at a time, that trade is entirely reasonable.
Against the Cobbler
The cobbler is the three-piece with the built-in strainer, and it is what most people picture. It is the easiest of the three to use and the most limited.
Its integral strainer is coarse, so a shaken drink still needs fine-straining for anything with mint or fruit, and the small cap is the classic thing to freeze shut. Capacity is usually lower too.
The Parisian is a step up in every respect except convenience. It shakes a bigger drink, it seals more securely, and pairing it with a Hawthorne gives you far better control over what reaches the glass.
Sealing and Care
Push the cap on firmly and squarely. A shove at an angle jams it. To open, hold the body in one hand and twist the cap rather than levering it sideways, which deforms the rim and ruins the seal permanently.
If it sticks, run warm water over the outside of the joint for a few seconds. The outer metal expands first and releases it. Never lever it with a bar blade.
Both halves should be the same alloy. Mismatched metals expand at different rates when cold, which is the usual cause of a shaker that will not open.
Pro Tip
The break is a twist, not a strike: cup in each hand, counter-rotate with your palms, and the seal sighs open where a Boston needs the heel of your hand.
What to Look For
- A seal you can feel seat cleanly
- Quality stainless with real wall thickness
- 500ml-plus capacity
- A curve you actually want on the shelf, since that is half the purchase
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- The Boston palm-strike break: this one twists
- Overfilling the smaller capacity
- Buying it as a first shaker: it is a second shaker
- Expecting a built-in strainer
Professional Tips
- Seal with a firm push, not a slam. Metal on metal locks hard.
- Break the seal by twisting, not levering.
- Buy one where both halves are the same alloy.
- Chill it before service. Cold metal seals more predictably.
Specifications
Material
Stainless Steel
Capacity
500-600ml typical
Details
Two-piece, no built-in strainer
History & Context
A nineteenth-century French design that lost the numbers game twice, to the Boston in working bars and to the cobbler in home kitchens, then returned with the craft revival, particularly through European and Japanese bars that valued how it looks on a station as much as how it works in the hand.
Common Questions
Parisian shaker versus Boston shaker?
The Boston is faster and holds more, and a stuck one frees with a firm strike at the seal line, which is why bars use it. The Parisian seals metal on metal over a longer surface, so it grips harder and can stick, but it is far more elegant.
Parisian shaker versus cobbler?
The cobbler has a built-in strainer and is easier to use; the Parisian holds more, seals more securely, and pairs with a Hawthorne for much better control. The cobbler’s integral strainer is coarse and its cap is the classic one to freeze shut.
Does a Parisian shaker need a strainer?
Yes: a Hawthorne, exactly as a Boston shaker does. The cap carries no strainer of its own. For anything with mint, egg or soft fruit, add a fine mesh strainer as well and double-strain into the glass.
Why choose a Parisian shaker?
Looks, mostly, and it is a good reason. It is better looking than either alternative, has a smaller footprint than a Boston, holds more than a cobbler, and the curved profile circulates ice a little more evenly during the shake.
Master the Technique
Related Equipment
Guide by Jerry Can Spirits