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The Double Strainer | Year One: Mixology Techniques, Recipes & Bar Systems (Free)

The Double Strainer

A Note from the Editor: Our First Year

I started The Double Strainer because too much know-how sits in back offices, private chats, and paywalled PDFs. Our craft gets better when knowledge is open, practical, and free — from milk washing to menu engineering — so every bartender, bar manager, and trainer can use it tonight. This project exists to make service easier — fewer remakes, clearer specs, faster prep, better guest moments. When we share the how and the why — with numbers, guardrails, and real workflows — we all level up: juniors learn faster, seniors coach better, leaders build stronger cultures.


Year One is both celebration and field guide: a precise recap of what we learned, the people who shaped us, and the step-by-step techniques, recipes, and tools you can teach, track, and repeat. If this mission speaks to you — if you believe that generous, professional knowledge lifts an entire city of bars — then come closer.


Subscribe — free — and get the next playbooks first. Share a post with a colleague who’ll use it tonight. Join the community that raises standards without ego — one shift at a time.

— Riccardo Grechi


Start Here [Beginner]

The Basics

  • Ice & Dilution — ice types, surface area/melt rate, shake vs. stir (dilution curves), serving temperature, pre-chilled glassware, spear vs. crushed, service rhythm.

  • Maceration, Decoction, or Infusion? — when to use each, solvent choice (water/alcohol/fat), time–temp ranges, solid:liquid ratios, bitterness/pectin control, quick filtration, basic shelf-life.

  • Understanding pH — pH vs. titratable acidity, target ranges for sours/highballs/sodas, acid blends (citric/malic/tartaric), measuring & logging, sugar/salt interactions, stability & oxidation.


First-Service Cocktails

  • Daiquiri — sugar/acid grid, fresh lime management, quick corrections, shake & chill window.

  • Pornstar Martini — balancing vanilla/tropical notes, sweetness–acidity tuning, foam stability, side-shot service.

  • A Signature Martini Twist — wet/dry ratios, bench-side dilution control, micro-dosed saline drops, aromatic garnish.


Your First Homemade Recipe

  • Honey Syrup — 1:1 vs. 2:1, varietal/floral notes, solubility, storage.

  • Saline Solution — 0.5–1.0% w/v, “season, don’t taste salty,” when to lift acidity/bitterness/umami.

  • Coffee Sweet Vermouth — extraction (brew ratio & temp), sugar integration, filtration, cold storage.


Techniques & R&D [Beginner to Intermediate] 

Why it matters: numbers you can teach, track, and hold — so specs survive different ice, speed, and stations.


Cocktails & Recipes: the “why” behind the “how” [Intermediate] 

Why it matters: every recipe exposes decision points (acid line, sugar form, dilution plan) so you can tune to your ice, throughput, and guests.


Bar Management & Leadership: the other 50% [Advanced]

Why it matters: most bars don’t fail on recipes — they fail on systems. These pieces hard-wire repeatability.


People (profiles only from our People section)

Takeaway: technique without people is sterile — the human craft is the multiplier.


Year-One Milestones (what we’re proud of)

1) Complex methods → bar-speed workflows (proven in service)

We turned lab-style techniques into step-by-step checklists with targets (temps, ratios, PSI, pH/Brix).

Example: milk washing with filtration tolerance, shelf-life ranges, and batching math you can hand to a junior.

2) Specs you can teach, track, and hold

pH/Brix guardrails reduced “mystery sours” and made handovers cleaner.

Outcome: fewer remakes, faster pre-shift alignment, tighter FOH feedback.

3) Open R&D frameworks

We published the test ladders, logs, and decision trees most teams hide in the back office.

Result: a common language for tasting, iterating, and documenting changes.

4) A voice that respects working bartenders

Direct, no-ego writing with measurable outcomes. No fluff—just what helps you during prep and service.

5) 100% free from day one

All techniques, recipes, and tools stay open. No paywalls, no teases—just usable knowledge.


Our Goals (why this exists)

Raise standards with practical, measurable methodsWhat this means for you: clearer specs, repeatable drinks, and training that sticks.

Save time on the floorWhat this means for you: faster mise en place, fewer corrections mid-shift, smoother closes.

Grow people, not egosWhat this means for you: stronger teams, safer culture, and consistency that outlives any single shift lead.

Why “free and open” mattersHospitality is a public good: when one bar gets better, the whole city drinks better.If this helped you, share an article with a colleague and bookmark the hubs for your next R&D or pre-service brief.


Join the community!

If this first year helped you make better drinks, run smoother services, or train your team, you’re exactly who this project is for. Join The Double Strainer community—learn with us, share what works behind your bar, and help raise the standard together.

Subscribe to get new techniques, recipes, and tools in your inbox (free).Follow for quick updates and behind-the-scenes R&D.Share a piece with a colleague who’ll use it tonight.

Big news is coming soon—new formats, deeper training resources, and ways to collaborate with the community. Don’t miss it.


Explore more on our homepage — articles, techniques, recipes, and resources in one place.


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