When I was a novice bartender, I was in awe of my colleagues' skills at the bar. Not only did they make delicious drinks but they also put on a show, pouring ingredients from up high, shaking with one hand, twirling the jigger through their fingers. Meanwhile, I was struggling to just fill the jigger without sloshing, never mind twirling its metal hourglass shape through my fingers. Dumping its contents into the shaker was even worse, and I always managed to spill. That was my talent.
Equipment
Why the Best Cocktail Jigger Isn’t a Jigger at All
It has a wide mouth, clear markings, and easy-to-read measurements. It's also far from conventional.
By Grace KellyPublished Aug. 11, 2021.
While I’m no longer a bartender (perhaps you can see why), I still enjoy making cocktails at home. My bartending kit is the same: Boston shaker, barspoon, strainer, muddler, and the dreaded jigger. It was only recently when I lost the jigger that I found my redemption in an unlikely replacement.
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As a staffer on the ATK Reviews team, I know that my colleagues put products through the ringer, and I was curious to see what they had chosen as our winning jigger. I pictured some fancy fluted doodad, metal and intricate, but instead I saw this: the OXO Good Grips Angled Measuring Cup.
Wait, what?
This was no jigger, at least in a traditional sense; it was a mini measuring cup. Suspending my disbelief, I ordered it, and after a few uses, I’ve been converted.
First off, this is the dang cutest little measuring cup. Second, traditional jiggers usually come in dual measuring sizes: a 1 ounce/2 ounce combo and a smaller ¼ ounce/½ ounce combo. This little number is one-size-fits-all and has ounces, cups, and even milliliters if you’re feeling European. There’s also headspace at the top, so if you’re filling it up to the max of 4 ounces, there’s no danger of sloshing.
Finally, the pouring action is superb. Gone are the days of fumbling to quickly dump the contents of the jigger so that nothing dribbles out; it’s been smooth pouring with the OXO. I can even show off a bit with a high pour.
And should I ever find my old jigger, I think I’ll tuck it away as a memento, but nothing more. The new jigger that isn’t a jigger is here to stay.