Jiggers & bar measures

The Japanese jigger is slim and deep, with a cup on either side: 25/50 ml, 30/45 ml or 30/60 ml. Inside are graduation marks for the in-between measures, so a single tool also pours 15 or 20 ml. Because it is tall and narrow, you can clearly see where the liquid stands. The 3/6 cl bell jigger has a wider foot and tips over less easily on a wet bar, but lacks those marks inside.

Choose your measures based on the recipes you make most often. If you work with American recipes, 30/60 ml makes sense, because that comes close to one and two ounces. If you follow European recipes in centilitres, 25/50 ml is the better match. The multilevel jigger from 15 to 75 ml covers everything and is handy while you are still experimenting. For pouring spirits behind the bar, a chrome 35 ml or 5 cl measure works faster.

Hold the jigger between index and middle finger, just above the glass, and pour until the rim bulges. Fill it right up, because a jigger you only half fill is no longer a measure. Then empty it in one smooth movement and let it hang for a moment, because the last drops of syrupy liqueur count too.

Always measure the strongest ingredient first, then the syrup and then the juice, because that way you do not have to rinse in between. For a negroni you pour three equal parts of three centilitres, for a daiquiri you work with six, three and two centilitres. Once you know those ratios, the jigger becomes your yardstick instead of your brake.

Stainless steel is the standard and is dishwasher safe. Copper, gold and black are coatings that go dull from salt and aggressive tablets; rinse those by hand and dry them afterwards and the shine will last for years. Chrome is the most scratch-sensitive of all the finishes.

Sugar syrup is the biggest enemy. Let it dry in and a sticky film stays behind in the cup that throws off the measure. So rinse the jigger briefly under the tap in between. When buying, also check whether the measures are stamped into the metal rather than printed on, because printed figures wear away.

Measuring is only the first step. What you measure then goes into a cocktail shaker or is stirred with a bar spoon, and is then strained with a cocktail strainer. The cocktail glass then decides how long your drink stays cold, and for drinks on ice have a look at the old fashioned glasses. All the ratios per classic are listed with the cocktail recipes, where every recipe also names the matching glass. Still unsure about sizes? The frequently asked questions below will help you further.