cocktail set

[miamiparis]

I went to the opening party of a Jaguar Land-Rover dealership. They gave me a cocktail set. Please look at the components here in the pictures.

I have 2 questions:

1) What is the use of the 2 black rubber balls that can be opened?

2) There is already a strainer on top of the shaker, so what would be the use of the 4-Prongs Stainless Steel Bar Strainer? Does it strain better than the strainer on top of the shaker?

I understand that if I use the 4-Prongs Stainless Steel Bar Strainer, I have to remove the cap of the shaker, I cannot use both strainers.

[Okanagancook]

The rubber balls are ice balls.  Put together and fill through the hole.

[Okanagancook]

The strainer that comes with the shaker is awkward to use in my opinion and does not strain out citrus bits.  We take it off and use the other strainer.

[miamiparis]

Thank you very much! I never saw such a big ice ball. The glass is kind of spherical, so it should fit well the ice ball. Is the benefit of such ice ball esthetic only? 

[Okanagancook]

The big balls don’t melt as fast so your drink stays cold but not diluted.  Think scotch whisky.

[miamiparis]

I see, thank you for the explanation!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

There is a Jaguar Land-Rover dealership a short walk from my doorstep.  Perhaps I should visit them.

 

[lindag]

8 hours ago, Okanagancook said:

The big balls don’t melt as fast so your drink stays cold but not diluted.  Think scotch whisky.

I have this set.  I particularly like the golf balls...dh was a lover of golf.

[miamiparis]

It was the opening party so if your dealership is already open, it won't work.

[haresfur]

You can also use the Hawthorne strainer (with the prongs) for stirred drinks like martinis. If you want less stuff like ice shards and citrus gunk in your shaken cocktails pour from the cap through a mesh strainer.

[Craig E]

If you make a drink with egg white (or egg yolk I suppose!) you can apparently use the Hawthorne strainer to separate eggs too.

[paulraphael]

On 10/17/2021 at 11:02 PM, Okanagancook said:

The big balls don’t melt as fast so your drink stays cold but not diluted.  Think scotch whisky.

 

And because they don't melt into the drink, they can't get the drink anywhere near as cold. So this kind of thing is used more for cooling scotch (or something similar) just a bit. Not for really chilling a drink like you do when stirring or shaking.

[lindag]

I use the big ice balls for my cocktails.  I put some regular ice in the glass first followed by vodka from the freezer, the the ice balls.

 Drink gets cold faster withe addition of the ice cubes.

[haresfur]

2 hours ago, paulraphael said:

 

And because they don't melt into the drink, they can't get the drink anywhere near as cold. So this kind of thing is used more for cooling scotch (or something similar) just a bit. Not for really chilling a drink like you do when stirring or shaking.

 

This is something that many people don't realise. Most of the cooling comes from heat of melting, not merely from the initial cold temperature of the ice. That's why whisky stones don't do much. You would be better off keeping the bottles in the fridge.

[heidih]

5 minutes ago, haresfur said:

 

This is something that many people don't realise. Most of the cooling comes from heat of melting, not merely from the initial cold temperature of the ice. That's why whisky stones don't do much. You would be better off keeping the bottles in the fridge.

Reminds me of a good friend addicted to very cold iced tea, She ordered some metal straws thinking"ooh super cold". Her husband bust a gut :Majella - metal is a heat sink so you are effectively drinking warmer tea!"