A drinks program does not win because a drink tastes great once. It wins when your team can reproduce the same result fast, consistently, and profitably, every shift. Menu Design & Engineering is The Double Strainer’s online service for venues and brands that want more than “nice recipes”. This is a complete execution system: recipes, prep logic, shelf-life standards, QC checks, and (where included) costing and pricing structure, so the menu performs under real service press

In 2025, The Double Strainer reinforced a clear mission: publish service-ready cocktail knowledge and bar systems designed for real venue execution, and make them completely free for the global bar community.

Most bartenders today meet Kevin Kos on a screen before they ever meet him at a bar. You’re between shifts, scrolling, and a calm Slovenian voice starts explaining how to get more juice from one lemon, or how to batch an Old Fashioned so it pours perfectly every time.

Bell pepper juice is one of the cleanest ways to bring savory freshness into cocktails—without relying on tomato, brine, or heavy spice. Done well, it adds a modern culinary edge while staying approachable for guests.

If you want a December cocktail that feels instantly festive without being complicated, an Old Fashioned is the perfect canvas: strong, warming, and built for slow sipping. This version borrows its signature aroma from panettone—the classic Italian Christmas sweet bread, buttery and soft, usually dotted with candied citrus peel and dried fruit.

Costing a cocktail is not just an Excel exercise. It decides whether a best-selling Negroni pays the rent or slowly erodes the bar’s margin over a season. Two drinks can look identical on the menu but behave very differently in the P&L.Without precise costing, decisions about price, garnish or promotions are based mostly on instinct.With precise costing, they become controllable levers.

On a rainy Tuesday a guest walks in, orders “just one drink” and sits quietly at the bar.Six months later, the same guest knows half the team by name, brings friends, and texts ahead to check if there’s space. That transformation—from stranger to regular—is not magic. It’s design. Guest loyalty doesn’t come from vibes alone, or from one superstar bartender “good with people”. It comes from a pattern of small, repeatable behaviours that any well-run bar can train, track and pr

Recipes get the spotlight, but tools quietly decide whether a cocktail is average or memorable. Without the right equipment, even a perfect recipe struggles to survive a real service.

Most Gin & Tonics start from the same place: a dry gin, a standard tonic, a citrus wedge. The Dreamer keeps the classic structure, but changes where the flavour work is done.

Dehydration is one of the most practical and transformative techniques in modern mixology.Whether used for garnish aesthetics, shelf-stable infusions, or to concentrate the flavor of fruits and herbs, learning how to dehydrate ingredients correctly can elevate your cocktail presentation and deepen its aromatic complexity.

I started The Double Strainer because too much know-how lives in back offices and paywalled PDFs. This project exists to keep the craft open, practical, and free — from milk washing to menu engineering — so you can bring clarity to prep, service, and training. Today’s post is both celebration and instruction: a precise recap of the year, the people who inspired us, and the practical guides, worksheets, and recipes you can put to work tonight.

Great bars aren’t run on intimidation or “rock-star” egos. They’re built by leaders who set standards, protect culture, and help people do the best work of their careers—night after night.This article translates modern leadership research and bar management practices into a practical guide for Head Bartenders, Bar Managers, and Beverage Directors.

This is a bright, green, garden-forward tonic built from tarragon, basil, and lemongrass—carbonated to service pressure in a siphon. It’s designed for speed (blend-strain-filter-charge), clarity (fine strain + coffee filter), and stability (cold extraction + low oxygen). Below you’ll find why it works, how to nail it every time, and how to use it across cocktails, low-ABV, and zero-proof serves.

The Daiquiri is more than a cocktail — it’s the distilled essence of balance, the meeting point between sugar, citrus, and spirit. Three simple ingredients — Cuban rum, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup — combine to create one of the world’s most elegant drinks. Yet behind that simplicity lies a universe of technique, history, and cultural identity.

Before a guest ever tastes a cocktail, they’ve already decided what kind of bar you are. The first 30 seconds define expectations: the welcome, the atmosphere, even the smell of the room. Done right, those moments can create an instant connection — the kind that turns a walk-in guest into a loyal regular. Done poorly, and no Negroni or Espresso Martini will ever fully recover the mood.

In the ever-evolving world of mixology, few techniques embody both historical tradition and modern innovation as elegantly as Milk Punch, often referred to as Milk Washing. At first glance, the idea of mixing milk with spirits might sound counterintuitive. Yet, when executed properly, it produces cocktails that are not only crystal-clear but also remarkably smooth, with a velvety mouthfeel and complex layers of flavor.

When it comes to crowd-pleasing highballs with American roots, few drinks are as instantly refreshing and approachable as the Lynchburg Lemonade. A citrus-forward long drink that balances sweetness, acidity, and spirit, it’s a staple on many bar menus—and for good reason.

There are bartenders who follow trends. Then there are those who create them. Simone Caporale belongs firmly in the second category. If you’ve ever poured a drink with a story, crafted a cocktail with intention, or thought of hospitality as more than just service, chances are you’re walking a path he helped pave.

When you walk into The Dead Rabbit (New York), you immediately feel the hum of Irish folk blended with modern rhythms. At Nightjar (London), a live jazz trio whispers through the room, matching the sophistication of the glassware and the complexity of the cocktails. At Atlas (Singapore), the grandeur of Art Deco interiors is amplified by classical and swing playlists, giving every sip of gin a sense of timeless elegance.

The Whiskey Sour is a timeless cocktail, beloved for its balance of spirit, citrus, and sweetness, crowned with a velvety froth of egg white. But in today’s era of creative mixology, classics are meant to be reimagined. Enter the Lager Whiskey Sour - a twist that merges the malty bitterness of beer with the familiar structure of the sour, resulting in a drink that is complex, refreshing, and modern.