Home Bar Glossary: 15 Terms Explained
The words that show up in home bar specs, reviews and how-to guides, explained without jargon.
- Boston shaker
- A two-piece shaker made of a large tin and a smaller tin or glass. Bartenders prefer it for speed and a tight seal.
- Related: Best Boston Shakers →
- Clear ice
- Ice frozen directionally so air and impurities are pushed out, giving a slow-melting, glass-clear cube.
- Related: Best Clear Ice Makers →
- Cobbler shaker
- A three-piece shaker with a built-in strainer and cap, easy for beginners but prone to sticking when cold.
- Dilution
- Water added to a drink as ice melts during shaking or stirring. It is an intended ingredient, not a flaw.
- Double straining
- Pouring through a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer together to catch ice chips and fruit pulp.
- Related: Best Fine Mesh Strainers for Cocktails (2026 Buying Guide) →
- Dry shake
- Shaking without ice first, usually to emulsify egg white or aquafaba into a thick foam.
- Expression
- Squeezing a citrus peel over a drink so its oils mist the surface for aroma.
- Related: Best Citrus Zesters →
- Hawthorne strainer
- A flat strainer with a spring that fits over a shaker tin to hold back ice.
- Related: Best Hawthorne Strainers →
- Jigger
- An hourglass measuring tool, and also a 1.5 oz measure in traditional American bar usage.
- Related: Best Cocktail Jiggers →
- Julep strainer
- A perforated spoon-shaped strainer used with a mixing glass for stirred drinks.
- Related: Best Julep Strainers →
- Lewis bag
- A canvas bag for crushing ice with a mallet. The canvas absorbs meltwater so the crushed ice stays dry.
- Related: Best Lewis Bags for Crushed Ice (2026 Buying Guide) →
- Muddling
- Gently pressing herbs, fruit or sugar to release oils and juice. Over-muddling mint makes drinks bitter.
- Related: Best Cocktail Muddlers →
- Neat
- A spirit served at room temperature with no ice or mixer.
- Simple syrup
- Sugar dissolved in water, usually one part to one part. Rich syrup uses two parts sugar to one part water.
- Up
- A drink shaken or stirred with ice, then strained into a glass without ice, usually a coupe or martini glass.
- Related: Best Coupe Glasses →