How to Use the Jigger Bar Tools for Cocktails

Pouring and measuring spirits is the starting point of all cocktails, so it's definitely a skill worth mastering. Many bars will use a device called a quick pour. These allow an accurate and controlled flow of liquid out of the bottle, giving bartenders the option to use a jig or free pour for measurements. Using a cocktail shaker is considered the most accurate and consistent way to make a cocktail, which means that every time you order at a bar, the drink you order with any bartender should be the same. Cocktails are a matter of life and death when it comes to the balance of ingredients, and mismeasurement can quickly lead to drinks that taste like they shouldn't.
 
What is a jigger?
A cocktail jigger is a shot or cocktail measuring cup for bartenders, ranging in sizes of 0.5-2.5 oz. For ease of use, many jiggers have fill lines on the inside or outside with oft-used cocktail or shot glass measurements.
 
The word jigger can also be used as a unit of measurement in cocktail recipes. If you happen to come across a recipe that calls for a jigger (or jigger shot) of any spirit, that refers to the standard jigger size of 1.5 oz. Shot glasses come in various sizes, but a standard shot glass is also 1.5 oz. So in some instances, a jigger and a shot can refer to the same thing. A smaller 1 oz shot, or the 1 oz side of the jigger, is referred to as a “pony shot.”
 
HISTORY OF THE JIGGER
Like many great pieces of cocktail history, the term jigger was gifted to us by the Royal British Navy. Derived from the name of the smallest mast on a ship, the jiggermast, a jigger was used to refer to a sailor’s daily ration of rum and the metal cup it was served in. The term gained popularity in the US in the 19th century when jiggers of whiskey were given to the Irish immigrants constructing canals in New York. The hourglass design that jiggers are still modeled on today was patented in 1893 by Cornelius Dungan, an inventor from Chicago.
 
How to Use a Jigger
Hold your jigger with two fingers (either your thumb and index finger or index and middle fingers). Your palm should face upwards so you can empty the jigger with a quick and easy turn of the wrist as soon as it’s full.
Hold the jigger close to the rim of the glass you will be pouring it into. This will save you time and limit any chances of spilling the liquid as you move closer to the glass. Do not fill your jigger over the glass or shaker as any spillage can drop into the drink, potentially ruining the recipe.
You also need to think about how you hold the bottle you’re pouring into the jigger. If it has a speed pourer, hold it at its neck. This should help you to be able to stop the pouring very quickly. If no pourer is present, you should hold the bottle in the middle.
Fill your jigger to its maximum capacity if the recipe calls for it.
You can practice filling and emptying a jigger with water to get more comfortable with the process before tackling the real deal in a bar environment.
 
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