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Vital for any bar setting, cocktail shakers are used to chill, dilute, and aerate drinks like margaritas, daiquiris, and whiskey sours in a matter of seconds. You'll find them behind the bar at restaurants, hotels, and nightclubs, as well as in catering setups where bartenders are turning out signature cocktails for weddings and corporate events. Choosing the right cocktail shaker starts with your volume and drink menu. A bar pouring 200 margaritas on a Saturday night might need a heavy-gauge tin that won't dent or lose its seal, while a hotel lounge making a dozen whiskey sours an hour can get by with a lighter cobbler set. Below, we've compiled a list that highlights some of the best and most effective cocktail shakers on the market:
Shop All Cocktail Shakers
- Best Cocktail Shaker Overall: TableCraft BH376 16 oz. Stainless Steel 3-Piece Cobbler Cocktail Shaker
- Best Cobbler Shaker: Barfly® M37039VN 24 oz. Vintage 3-Piece Japanese Cocktail Shaker
- Best Boston Shaker: Barfly® 28 oz. Antique Gold Full Size Cocktail Shaker Tin M37008ANG
- Best Glass Cocktail Shaker: TableCraft MJS14 14 oz. Glass 3-Piece Mason Jar Cocktail Shaker
- Best Plastic Cocktail Shaker: TableCraft PS378 27 oz. Clear Plastic 3-Piece Cobbler Cocktail Shaker
- Best Budget Cocktail Shaker: Acopa 28 oz. Stainless Steel Full Size Cocktail Shaker Tin
The TableCraft BH376 is our top pick because it handles everyday single-drink orders well without the extras that drive up the price. The strainer is built into the lid, so there's no Hawthorne strainer to track down or replace. The cap doubles as a 1 oz. jigger for fast, repeatable pours. The mirror polish suits a retro cocktail lounge or a sports bar back bar, and it has a beehive exterior that's aesthetically pleasing and offers a comfortable grip. It stands 8" tall, weighs 0.6 lb., and can go through a commercial dishwasher between shifts. It isn't limited to alcohol either, as operators running coffee shops and juice bars could also use it for iced drinks, flavored teas, and milk-based beverages that need a quick froth.
TableCraft BH376 16 oz. Stainless Steel 3-Piece Cobbler Cocktail Shaker | $11.03
Read customer reviews for the TableCraft BH376 16 oz. Stainless Steel 3-Piece Cobbler Cocktail Shaker.
- Textured beehive body stays easy to grip when the tin is cold and wet
- Polished stainless steel construction chills drinks quickly and resists rust
- Built-in strainer keeps ice out of the glass, so you don't need to buy or keep track of a separate strainer
- Users report the lid and cap can fit tightly and be hard to separate after shaking, especially once the metal is cold
- Users report it works best for one drink at a time
The Barfly® M37039VN is a 24 oz. Japanese-style cobbler shaker, and the extra capacity is what sets it apart from the typical 16 oz. cobbler. It makes two margaritas or Long Island iced teas in one shake, or one large pour of a shaken espresso or boba tea. The tin is 18/8 stainless steel with a vintage finish. The strainer lid is formed to seat tightly, which keeps the shaker from leaking mid-shake and keeps ice out of the glass when you pour. The dimpled cap gives your fingers something to hold, whether you're working behind the bar or mixing tableside. It costs more than a basic cobbler but less than most heavy weight models, making it a reasonable pick for bars, coffee shops, and bubble tea counters that go through a lot of larger-format shaken drinks.
Barfly® M37039VN 24 oz. Vintage 3-Piece Japanese Cocktail Shaker | $25.99
Read customer reviews for the Barfly® M37039VN 24 oz. Vintage 3-Piece Japanese Cocktail Shaker.
- 24 oz. capacity covers two drinks per shake
- Strainer is built into the lid, so ice stays out of the glass and there's no separate strainer to buy or misplace
- 18/8 stainless steel resists corrosion and rust
- Users report the tight seal that stops leaks can make the strainer hard to remove at times
- Hand wash only
The Barfly® M37008ANG is the large half of a Boston shaker, a 28 oz. stainless steel tin in an antique gold finish. Bars that run tin-on-tin pair it with an 18 oz. half-size tin, and bars that prefer glass-on-tin pair it with a standard mixing glass. Either way, a firm tap seals it for a hard shake and a palm strike breaks it open, which is why the two-piece design is faster than a cobbler during a rush. The tin measures 3 5/8" across and 6 7/8" tall, and the reinforced capped bottom adds protection against drops and ice impact. The satin interior aids in disguising scratches and wear, helping the tin look newer for longer.
Barfly® 28 oz. Antique Gold Full Size Cocktail Shaker Tin M37008ANG | $17.49
Read customer reviews for the Barfly® 28 oz. Antique Gold Full Size Cocktail Shaker Tin.
- Satin interior finish helps hide scratches and dings
- Antique gold finish adds some color to a back bar with copper or brass accents
- Holds enough for two standard pours
- Sold as a single tin, so a second tin or mixing glass and a Hawthorne or julep strainer are extra
- Hand wash only, so the plated finish can't go through the dish machine with the rest of the barware
The TableCraft MJS14 is a 14 oz. cobbler shaker made from a thick glass mason jar with a two-piece stainless steel top that has a strainer built in. It's sized for one drink at a time, which makes it a good tool for tableside service, where a server shakes at the table and pours through the strainer instead of carrying a finished cocktail across the dining room. The jar is 6 1/4" tall and 3" across at the base, so it's small enough to hold in one hand and light enough to shake without strain. The mason jar styling suits rustic dining rooms, farm-to-table menus, and country-themed coffee shops, and the clear glass lets guests see the colors in the drink.
TableCraft MJS14 14 oz. Glass 3-Piece Mason Jar Cocktail Shaker | $9.49
Read customer reviews for the TableCraft MJS14 14 oz. Glass 3-Piece Mason Jar Cocktail Shaker.
- Rustic mason jar look fits country-themed cafes, outdoor weddings, and craft cocktail bars
- Glass body shows off the color of a shaken drink
- The stainless steel top includes a strainer, so there's no need to bring a separate strainer to the table
- Glass can chip or break if dropped or subjected to a sudden temperature change
- At 14 oz., it's best for one drink at a time
The TableCraft PS378 is a 27 oz. cobbler shaker made of clear SAN plastic, built for the places where a glass or metal shaker is an unideal fit. This shaker is great for pool decks, patio bars, outdoor events, and anywhere a dropped shaker would mean broken glass on the floor. The body is 9 3/4" tall and weighs only 0.43 lb., so a bartender can carry a couple of them without noticing. The top strainer and cap are part of the set, and the 3 oz. cap doubles as a shot glass, which is handy for a quick pour or a shot on the side. The plastic is clear, so you can see how much is in it at a glance. It's BPA-free and safe for commercial dishwashers.
TableCraft PS378 27 oz. Clear Plastic 3-Piece Cobbler Cocktail Shaker | $6.90
Read customer reviews for the TableCraft PS378 27 oz. Clear Plastic 3-Piece Cobbler Cocktail Shaker.
- Break-resistant SAN plastic takes drops, knocks, and rough handling that would shatter a glass shaker
- Visible liquid, which speeds up pours and makes it easy to tell when it's clean
- BPA-free
- Plastic scratches more easily than metal
- Plastic doesn't chill a drink as fast as stainless steel
The Acopa 28 oz. shaker is one of the most affordable ways to stock a Boston shaker setup. It's the large half of a Boston shaker: 18/8 stainless steel, 7" tall, 3 5/8" across the top, and just 0.41 lb.. The capped bottom reinforces the part that takes the hits, supporting extra durability. It pairs with a 18 oz. half-size tin or any standard mixing glass, and it comes in silver, copper, and matte black if you want it to match the back bar. At this price you can give every bartender and every well station their own tin, and you won't spend much to replace one when it gets lost or crushed. You'll still need a second tin or mixing glass and a Hawthorne strainer to finish the setup.
Acopa 28 oz. Stainless Steel Full Size Cocktail Shaker Tin | $3.59
Read customer reviews for the Acopa 28 oz. Stainless Steel Full Size Cocktail Shaker Tin.
- Dishwasher safe
- 18/8 stainless steel gives it resistance to corrosion and an easy-to-clean surface
- Affordable price for stocking multiple stations
- Users report the smaller tin can stick after a shake
How We Chose the Best Cocktail Shakers
Choosing a commercial cocktail shaker comes down to three questions: how the shaker is built, what it's made of, and its capacity. We analyzed industry research and went through customer feedback on dozens of models to narrow the field to the best cocktail shakers for bars, restaurants, and catering operations. Here's what we weighed in each pick:
Style
The style of shaker you pick decides how a drink is built, strained, and poured, and it affects how fast your bartenders can work. Here's how the main styles compare:
- Cobbler: A three-piece unit with a body, a lid with a built-in strainer, and a cap. You build the drink, snap on the lid, shake, remove the cap, and pour, with no extra tools. It's a good fit for lower-volume bars, hotel lounges, and service stations where you don't want to track separate strainers.
- Boston: Two pieces, either two stainless steel tins or a tin paired with a mixing glass. It needs a separate Hawthorne or julep strainer and takes a little more skill and training, but it holds more and comes apart faster once the seal is broken. That's why it's the standard on busy cocktail bars.
Material
What a shaker is made of affects how well it chills, how long it lasts, and where you can safely use it.
- Stainless Steel: The most common choice for good reason. It chills drinks quickly, takes daily knocks, resists corrosion, and cleans up easily. Look for 18/8 stainless if you can, since it holds up better to citrus and repeated washing. Plated and coated finishes like gold, copper, and vintage add style but usually need to be hand washed, so check before buying for a dish machine operation.
- Plastic: Typically SAN or polycarbonate, and a smart pick where glass and metal don't make sense, such as pool decks, patio bars, and outdoor events. It's light weight, break-resistant, and cheap to replace, though it scratches more easily than steel and chills a drink more slowly. SAN also tends to hold up better in the dish machine than polycarbonate, which can cloud with repeated washing.
- Glass: Guests can see the drink being made, which is why it works for tableside service and event bars, and some glass shakers can be customized with a logo. The trade-off is that glass can chip or shatter and doesn't chill as quickly, so it's best used where handling is gentler.
Capacity
Shaker size determines how many drinks you can make per shake. Small cobblers in the 6 to 15 oz. range suit single servings like shots and tasting-flight pours, while 16 to 22 oz. models handle one full-size cocktail with room for ice. Larger shakers in the 24 to 32 oz. range can handle two drinks at once, and the 28 oz. tin that anchors most Boston setups is the usual pick for a busy well. Match the size to your typical order, since an oversized shaker wastes ice and spirits on single drinks, and a small one forces bartenders to shake twice during a rush.
A cocktail shaker is one of the least expensive tools behind a bar, yet a bartender handles it hundreds of times a shift, so small flaws show up fast. A lid that sticks while a line is forming or a base that dents in the first month costs more in lost minutes than the shaker costs to replace. With a shaker matched to your bar, your team can focus on making signature drinks, not the equipment.
With almost a decade of content marketing experience, Kevin has learned the ins and outs of various business sectors. Over his four years as a Longform Content Writer with WebstaurantStore, Kevin has spent hours researching and writing about the intricacies of the foodservice industry. Specializing in marketing guides, technical writing, and structured how-to content, he enjoys providing readers with content that guides them in growing and running their bar or restaurant.
Learn more about this author and WebstaurantStore's Content Writing Team here!
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Using the correct types of glasses for your crafted cocktails isn't just for presentation, it also improves the drinking experience for your guests. The shape of the cocktail glass dictates how the glass is held in the hand, which can impact the temperature of the drink. Some glasses are designed to hold more ice, and some glass shapes enhance the aromatics of the drink. Read on to learn about the different types of cocktail glasses and the drinks they are designed to hold. Shop All Cocktail Glasses 1. Highball Glass This tall straight glass holds about 8 to 12 ounces and is meant to be filled with ice. Best used for cocktails served on the rocks, the glass shape keeps the drink cold and preserves carbonation. Often used interchangeably wit
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