Party season is upon us, and that means one thing: cocktails. Whether you prefer your drinks shaken or stirred, a cocktail shaker is an essential piece of kit for your at-home bar, allowing you to easily whip up an impressive serve.
To find the best cocktail shakers, we’ve tested a range of different types, from single shakers and complete sets to cobbler and Boston styles. The latter is what professional bartenders tend to use, with the most notable difference being there’s not a built-in strainer. The Boston shaker is made up of a wide-topped stainless steel cup (sometimes it’s glass) and a simple stainless steel shaker that slot together. There are few frills but, importantly, it creates well-shaken drinks.
Meanwhile, a cobbler is perhaps the more aesthetically pleasing type of cocktail shaker – it is the type you’re probably more likely to see in people’s homes. It comes in three parts: the body, the lid (complete with strainer) and a small cap that goes over the top.
When it comes to what to look for in a good shaker, Greg Almeida, cocktail consultant for London restaurant Dinings SW3, says: "A good cocktail shaker should be two things: made of metal and weighted on both ends, which helps with comfort of use and grip. Stainless steel conducts temperature and helps you control dilution and how cold your cocktail will be. It also closes hermetically – crucial to avoid splashes in front of your guests.”
Almeida adds: "Whatever way you shake, the most important thing is to remember why you shake: it mixes ingredients together and aerates your cocktail, bringing air and texture to the overall liquid; it chills your cocktails for extra pleasure, and finally adds dilution in order for all the flavours to open and come together."
Whether you’re a daiquiri pro or looking to create your first at-home bar setup, keep scrolling for our pick of the best cocktail shakers.
How we tested
To find the best cocktail shakers, we put a variety to the test while making our favourite tipples, including margaritas, espresso martinis and pisco sours. We wanted great designs that wouldn’t leak, featured a good pour and were easy to use and clean. Weight, overall aesthetic and value for money were also taken into consideration. Get ready to shake, rattle and roll (whether or not it’s happy hour), with one of these tried-and-tested cocktail shakers.
The best cocktail shakers for 2024 are:
Fortnum & Mason cocktail shaker
Adding a certain level of sophistication, as you'd expect from Fortnum & Mason, the department store's shaker is one you'd proudly display on your kitchen shelves or bar trolley.
Made entirely from stainless steel, it's quite simple in design, and doesn't stray too far from a traditional shape, but it's the little touches that make it stand out. The ridge effect around the top, lid and body of the shaker really elevates it. We also liked that ‘Fortnum & Mason' is engraved into the bottom of the shaker.
We found it easy to shake and to pour from, and it seemed to keep our drinks nice and cold. It's light and well-weighted, and would make an excellent gift for the cocktail fan in your life.
Buy now £55.00, Fortnumandmason.com
Uberstar glass cocktail shaker
Looking like it’s straight out of the Art Deco era, this is the only glass-body cobbler shaker on our list, which also makes it the heaviest we tested. Featuring a chunky diamond pattern all over its cut-glass body, the shaker creates a great drink and is easy to pour. The rubber-sealed stainless steel lid means the top won’t shoot off if you get particularly vigorous with your shaking, either. Plus, it’s easy to clean, and the glass bottom could be used as a small vase when it’s not being used for making drinks.
Buy now £30.00, Fenwick.co.uk
Habitat 60 gold edit boogie woogie cocktail shaker set
This year, high street interiors brand Habitat is celebrating its 60th birthday, and this golden cocktail shaker certainly got the party memo. It’s part of Habitat’s wider ‘gold edit’, which has been designed to add a touch of luxury to your home, from crockery and candles to a candelabra and a drinks trolley.
This shaker has been designed by Tord Boontje, who is known for designing Habitat’s signature ‘garland’ lampshade in 2002, and for his ability to bring light into everyday objects. For the price, it’s great value, as it also comes with ice tongs, a mixing spoon, a strainer and a ‘jigger’ (a spirits measuring cup), making shaken and poured drinks a total breeze.
Buy now £32.00, Habitat.co.uk
Borough Kitchen Boston cocktail shaker set
This is the only Boston shaker on our list but it’s often the most preferred style of shaker for professional bartenders. Though some might opt for two stainless steel cups instead of glass, due to the latter’s delicate nature, we didn’t have any problems while using this shaker. In fact, we like the glass element, as you can see the contents, providing a fun visual element when preparing drinks in front of guests.
This shaker also comes with a Hawthorne strainer and a classic long and twisted cocktail spoon for mixing and muddling, making it a great beginner’s set for aspiring mixologists.
Buy now £37.00, Boroughkitchen.com
Vacu Vin cocktail set plus
Another full set, this professional-looking shaker comes with six other elements, including a muddler, strainer, fine sieve, bottle pourer, bar spoon and double jigger (with a 15ml and 30ml end). It’s also the only set to come with a proper muddler, which is useful for making cocktails with whole fruits that need crushing in the bottom of the vessel, before being strained.
It quite literally has everything you might need for a home bar. We especially love the pourer, which we added to our triple sec bottle while making margaritas and really felt like a proper mixologist.
The design is super simple and we like its brushed stainless steel look, which helps guard against water marks. It would make a great gift for any budding home cocktail maker who has all the ideas but not of the gear.
Buy now £34.90, Amazon.co.uk
Yeti rambler cocktail shaker
Can’t bear to be without a shaken drink while on the road? Yeti understands such a predicament and has given the humble shaker a tough and durable treatment. It is double-wall vacuumed, meaning it is insulated, which is usually a positive for drinks bottles, but here it’s not really a necessity. That is, unless you’re shaking in a very hot destination, then perhaps it would be helpful.
The shaker is nice and easy to use, and we like how the middle section is slightly grippy, compared with the stainless steel elements. Though, as it’s double-walled, it does make it heavier than most other shakers we tested. It’s also the biggest shaker we’ve tested, and it comes with a hefty price tag to match.
It’s available in 10 colourways, ranging from orange to sky blue, as well as plain stainless steel.
Buy now £60.00, Yeti.com
Cocktail shaker FAQs
Cleaning your cocktail shaker: Can they go in the dishwasher?
Keeping your cocktail shaker clean is the best way to ensure its longevity but there are different ways to approach cleaning each part of the shaker.
While shakers made out of glass or stainless steel can go in the dishwasher, designs with painted markings or rubber rings around the lid are best washed by hand.
Tin lids, measuring glasses and traditional strainers are always best washed by hand, but mesh strainers can go in the dishwasher.
What size cocktail shaker do I need?
A shaker that holds 600ml or less is perfect for happy hour for one but you’ll need a 700ml and above shaker for rustling up cocktails for gatherings.
What should you look for when buying a cocktail shaker?
There are three main types of cocktail shakers: the cobbler, the boston, and the french shaker. The most common is the cobbler, which consists of three parts: a metal tumbler, a metal lid with a built-in strainer, and a metal cap to cover the strainer. This style is best for cocktail novices, as it is easy to use, although can be a challenge to separate.
The Boston shaker is more popular with cocktail professionals and consists of two parts: a mixing glass and a metal tumbler. It is great if you know what you are doing, and are hosting a large party, as it can hold more liquid. But, beware, it can be a bit fiddly and requires two hands to use.
Lastly, the French shaker looks great but is largely for show and can be very tricky to use.
The verdict: Cocktail shakers
After much shaking and deliberating, our winner is the Fortnum & Mason cocktail shaker. We loved its elevated simplicity and its very chic design, which made us feel like we were creating something bar-worthy at home.
We also really liked the Habitat 60 gold edit boogie woogie cocktail shaker set, which makes a great gift. While, for the mixologist in training, we think the Borough Kitchen shaker is a great buy.
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