(n.): This one-piece strainer consists of a shallow bowl with even round perforations and an attached handle. Designed specifically for juleps in the era before drinking straws were invented, the strainer would fit into the cocktail glass and hold back crushed ice while the drinker took a sip.
Today the strainer can be used for making any cocktail, but it is particularly well suited to straining liquids from a mixing glass—most often with stirred cocktails. To use, invert the strainer over the cocktail glass so the bowl holds back the ice. Holding the strainer with your index finger over the glass, lift and tilt the mixing glass over the serving glass and pour.