If we asked you to tell us what marine life has in common with bar tools, you would probably think we had finally lost the plot! Yet, it’s not as inconceivable as you might think.
Did you know, manta rays strain the minuscule pieces of food from sea water using a filter system in their mouth?
"Manta rays appear to utilize a novel mechanism for filtering particles out of fluids. Their filtering apparatus has a special structure that causes plankton particles to ricochet off the filter and become concentrated in the mouth cavity", Jim Strother, assistant professor of integrative biology in the OSU College of Science, told Science Daily.
OK, so you're still wondering what this has to do with bar tools. Let’s turn our attention to cocktail strainers...
Inherent design flaws
Let's start from the beginning.
The Hawthorne strainer has remained a strainer of choice for over a century with good reason. As Social Hour Cocktails put it, “The Hawthorne is the most versatile type of strainer. Its flexible spring and prongs jutting out, allow it to conform to a variety of different sized mixing vessels.”
However, the design of the Hawthorne strainer has also remained unchanged for over a century, and this is where the issue lies. Inherent design flaws have been passed down through generations of strainers, leading to problems that bartenders have just learned to live with.
Average Hawthorne strainers rust and some are uncomfortable to hold, and that's before you get to the problems with straining – springs that are not wound well or tightly won't strain the liquid effectively, thereby ruining an otherwise well-made cocktail and creating waste.
Worse still is the tired spring that breaks off mid-serve, ruining a whole drink. Lumps and leaves in cocktails when they’re not supposed to be there create inconsistent experiences for the customer and makes the bartender look like an amateur.
As we discussed in our blog The Role of the Cocktail Strainer, straining is a key part of the cocktail-making process and the cocktail-drinking experience.
How we designed the StrainRay™
We took all of this on-board when designing the StrainRay™. Not only does it echo the wonderfully rare shape of the manta rays, but it has an upgraded filtration system to match. The tighter a coil on a strainer, the more efficient it is.
StrainRay has tightly wound coils that catch all drink residue. It also removes the margin for error as it balances well on a Boston Tin or glass, as well as a mixing glass, due to slightly sloped sides. Additionally, StrainRay has a unique finger rest (or bridge), which makes the pour comfortable and easier for bartenders, lessening the likelihood of spills.
Still want more? OK, go on then...
The new range of StrainRays are available in an array of stunning colours – gold, copper, chrome and platinum black. The strainers can be relied on to create effortlessly smooth cocktails. You might even say it takes the sting out of straining!
Just like the manta ray, it's important to adapt to survive. So what if one change could save you money on replacement tools and wasted drinks - will you take it?
Let it be a YES! And you can start with your strainers.
