How To Use A Bar Spoon

Lesson 03 – Difficulty: Easy

Using a bar spoon is essential for a perfectly stirred cocktail. The bar spoon is one of those underrepresented essential bar tools in your armory. True, about of us learned how to use a spoon by the time we were iii years onetime. But, a bar spoon is slightly different and using a bar spoon correctly tin can brand you look professional with very lilliputian time.

The goal to using a bar spoon is to mix your spirit-forward cocktails (such as the manhattan or gin martini) without breaking or chipping your water ice. You do this by beingness more elegant near your stir technique: don't be aggressive or bounce your spoon effectually the glass. The bar spoon supplied with ourHome Bartender Starter Kit is an 11″ red knob bar spoon and that red knob has significance!

Anatomy of the Bar Spoon

Using a bar spoon

The bar spoon has two sides, the flat of the spoon or "measure side" which is normally used for doing modest measures (usually around 1 tsp or with our spoon, around i/4 ounce measure out) and the ruddy know "stir side." Well-nigh advanced bartenders with years of feel at craft cocktail bars that take worked under great mentors will use the red knob side to stir a cocktail. Using the bar spoon's scarlet knob allows for very fast and efficient stirring without getting the flat of the spoon jammed upward in the ice. About, nonetheless, call up the spoon portion is the stirring side (and it can, in fact, exercise the job well).

The measure side is great for those with ourHome Bartender Starter Kit considering theJapanese Double Jigger that is supplied with the kit will measure out all the other measurements you will need in your cocktail build.

Preparing The Mixing Drinking glass

If y'all've got ourHome Bartender Starter Kit, you've got a tempered pint glass that measures sixteen ounces. Perfect stand up in for a cocktail mixing drinking glass! Ready your glass by adding ice to information technology sooner than later to let it come down in temperature. This isn't your stirring ice, merely ice to keep your glass cool (if you didn't refrigerate information technology or freeze it). Leave your mixing glass spooky while yous pull together your cocktail recipe and other ingredients.

Using a Bar Spoon Footstep-by-Step

Step 1 Toss whatsoever chilling ice from the glass. Add your booze, spirits, juices and all required ingredients into your glass. These are probably room temperature ingredients, which is perfect.

Step 2 Add your ice into the liquid ingredients within your mixing glass. Usually filling the glass halfway upward with ice.

Step 3 Place your bar spoon (red tip first usually) into the mixing glass and prepare it up against the edge of the glass.

Step 4 Using the "clock method", hold your bar spoon between your middle finger and index finger and keep the thumb in position for control. With the pressure level against the side of the glass, pull the spoon towards you (towards vi 'o clock) and then push abroad (towards 12 'o clock) and echo every bit y'all permit the spoon glide effectually the outer edge of your mixing glass.

Step 5 Continue the smoothen stir for approximately 30 seconds to arctic downwards the cocktail to the perfect dilution.

Step six Using the julep strainer supplied with theDomicile Bartender Starter Kit or, worst example, your hawthorne strainer, hold back the ice and cascade the silky contents of your cocktail into the glass y'all wish to serve it in.

Bar Spoon Technique

The ultimate technique is a nice polish rotation in your mixing glass for those 30 seconds. Yous'll find the technique is ninety% finger movement, 10% wrist movement and 0% arm movement. The speed and efficiency comes through perfected finger move to go the ice spinning fast through the cocktail ingredients.

Furthermore, spend quality time stirring your cocktails withboth hands. Most of us righty folks are going to spend our time relying on the correct hand using a bar spoon. Withal, you'll notice great value in becoming a master with both hands. Now, you'll exist able to stir 2 unlike cocktails at once which is great for efficiency and looks professional. You tin can also milk shake a cocktail in your dominant mitt while stirring with your other hand, making fast work for multiple guests (and can get you back to socializing faster).

The Julep Strainer!

You'll find the bar spoon, in combination with mixing, is where we focus on using our Julep strainer. The julep strainer is simply used to concord back ice and such in our mixing glass when stirring a cocktail. This preserves the springs of our cocktail strainer when trying to employ information technology on a smaller diameter glass.

The julep strainer gets its name because information technology was once used to agree back crushed ice in a julep cocktail (prior to the proliferation of the straw). That is why we include it in ourDomicile Bartender Starter Kit.

Don't Fret The Minor Stuff

Call up, y'all'll find many unlike bar spoons on the market. Using a bar spoon is a universal skill and the bar spoon design you use won't alter how fantastic yous have becoming using information technology. Some bar spoons volition non have a ruby-red tip so stir with the measure side. Other bar spoons volition accept a weighted side (often used for muddling, which we find dumb) and others take a fork for poking garnishes. Who cares? Just acquire how to use a bar spoon properly and you're on your mode!

WatchLesson 01: Essential Bar Tools For Beginner Cocktail Enthusiasts.

Sentry Lesson 02: Using a Japanese Double Jigger – Essential Bar Tools.

Watch Lesson 03: Using a Boston Shaker – Essential Bar Tools.

Picket Lesson 04: Using a Bar Spoon – Essential Bar Tools.

Watch Lesson 05: Using a Citrus Squeezer – Essential Bar Tools.