How to Throw a Cocktail

Throwing sits between stirring and shaking. You pour a drink back and forth between two vessels in a long stream, holding back the ice with a strainer, so air folds into the liquid without the bruising agitation of a hard shake. The result is chilled, lightly aerated and slightly brighter than a stirred version, with the clarity mostly intact.

The technique is most associated with Spanish bars and with tomato-based drinks such as the Bloody Mary, where shaking can make the juice thick and foamy. This guide explains the setup, the motion, how many throws to make and which drinks gain from it.

What throwing does

Each pass stretches the liquid into a thin stream that falls through air into the receiving tin. That exposes more surface to oxygen, which can open aromas in wine-based ingredients, and adds a fine aeration that gives the drink a slightly livelier texture.

Because ice stays behind in one tin, contact time with the ice is limited. Chilling and dilution happen more slowly than in a shake, so the drink ends up cool and gently diluted rather than icy and frothy.

Setup

You need two mixing tins (a large and small Boston tin, or two large tins), a Hawthorne or Julep strainer, and plenty of cold ice. Build the drink in one tin, add ice, and fit the strainer over it. Hold the empty tin in your other hand.

Work over a sink or a tray at first. Even experienced bartenders spill while learning, and a sticky tomato mix on the counter is no fun.

The motion

Hold the strainer firmly in place with your index finger while gripping the ice-filled tin. Hold the empty tin low, about level with your waist. Begin pouring from the ice tin, raising it as the stream starts, so the liquid falls in a long arc into the lower tin. Keep your eyes on the receiving tin, not the pouring one.

When almost all the liquid has passed, bring the tins back together and pour it back into the ice tin. Repeat. As your aim improves, increase the distance to 40 to 60 cm for more aeration.

• Start close and widen the gap gradually
• Pour steadily; a broken stream splashes
• Bring tins together at the end of each pass to avoid drips
• Finish by straining into the serving glass

How many throws

Five to eight passes chill a drink nicely for serving over fresh ice. If you plan to serve it up without ice, a few more passes help. Taste after five: the drink should be cold, a little softer, and still clear or only slightly hazy.

Over-throwing does not ruin a drink as fast as over-shaking, but it does warm the liquid between passes and can flatten delicate aromas.

Drinks that suit throwing

The Bloody Mary and its relatives are the classic example. Shaking tomato juice traps air and turns it pale and frothy; throwing keeps it smooth and bright while still chilling it. Sherry and vermouth-based drinks gain aroma from the extra air, and some bartenders throw Manhattans or Martinis for a lighter mouthfeel.

Drinks with egg white, cream or a lot of fruit purée need the force of a shake to emulsify, so throwing is not a substitute there. Carbonated drinks should never be thrown, as the bubbles would disappear.

Common questions

Is throwing just for show?

It looks dramatic, but it also changes texture. A thrown drink is lighter than a stirred one and clearer than a shaken one, which suits tomato, sherry and wine-forward drinks.

Can I throw a drink without a strainer?

Not well. Without a strainer, ice tumbles between the tins and you lose control of dilution. A Julep or Hawthorne strainer pressed firmly over the tin keeps the ice in place.

How do I practice without wasting ingredients?

Practice with water and ice over a sink. Once the stream is steady and you can widen the gap without splashing, move on to real drinks.