Throwing
Definition
Pouring a cocktail back and forth between two vessels from a height to aerate and chill without excessive dilution. Traditional for making sangria and used for the Blue Blazer with flames.
Throwing is the act of pouring a cocktail back and forth between two vessels from a height, introducing a degree of aeration that falls between the texture of stirring and the full emulsification of shaking. The first written reference to a thrown cocktail appears in 1840, and an 1849 illustration of the El Dorado Gambling House in San Francisco depicts a bartender using the technique. Cocktail historian Jared Brown, co-founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail, notes that the first time "cocktail shaker" appeared in print — in 1869 — the article described the bartender throwing the drink between tins. The technique traces its hospitality roots to the Spanish Basque Country, where cider and Txakoli wine have traditionally been poured from height to aerate them, and to Cuba, where bartender Miguel Boadas learned the method at Havana's La Floridita bar before bringing it to Barcelona when he opened the Boadas cocktail bar in 1933. Throwing produces fine micro-bubbles that give wine-based cocktails — particularly those with vermouth or sherry — a noticeably softer, fuller texture than stirring alone can achieve.
Reviewed & Verified by
Gayle Perreault
Bar & Service Manager · 25+ Years Industry Experience · About Jigger & Joy
💡 Pro Tips
- Start the pour low and increase the height gradually as your technique builds
- Use two identical tins or a tin and mixing glass for the best arc and control
- Throwing works best for vermouth-forward and wine-based cocktails — not egg drinks
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- Pouring too fast which causes splashing instead of a clean controlled arc
- Not using a strainer during the transfer which reduces control over dilution
- Applying throwing to egg-white cocktails where shaking is far more effective
