Magnificent Bastard

Wednesday, October 15, 2025



Ask the MB: Cocktail Shaker

Ask the MB: Cocktail Shaker
Q: I have purchased the ingredients to make a Magnificent Bastard, but confused about the instructions requiring a mixing glass filled with ice. Why do you mix in an ice-filled glass, then move it to another ice filled glass?
--Greg


A: Greg, you say you bought the booze an MB requires, so we're assuming that you're 21 or older -- but are you new to cocktails?

We're talking about a glass shaker here, not any old glass. As The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks author David Embury explains, metal is a better conductor of heat than glass, so you will drink less diluted cocktails if you use a glass shaker.

The problem is finding a good one. For something with character, our first stop is eBay (principle of archaism). But if you're really thirsty and want to drink sooner rather than later, Pottery Barn (yeah, that Pottery Barn) sells a simply designed, thick glass shaker with a tight-fitting metal top for $24.00 that mixes great-tasting MBs. Until today's shaker manufacturers start mass-producing Austrian 800 silver & cut glass cocktail shakers, it will have to do.

POURCAST

BETA

Old Fashioned

  • 1 raw sugar cube
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 3 oz bourbon

On bottom of Old Fashioned glass (what else?) dribble bitters on sugar cube. Muddle. Fill with ice, then with bourbon. Garnish with lemon twist. No, not a thick orange wedge, handful of cherries, or a cup of fruit salad. A simple lemon wedge.


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