Bar spoons may seem like the peacocks of utensils -- twisty,
tall and showy for no apparent reason -- but bar spoons are more than just a pretty spoon.
They are a spoon with a purpose.
Bartending consultant Kaitlyn Stewart (likeablecocktails) demonstrated
a potential purpose/party trick of the bar spoon in a video on TikTok -- you can
pour carbonated beverages down the spoon handle without over-fizzing, while
retaining the carbonation.
As you can see, the liquid follows the grooves of the spoon
without spilling a drop.
Bar spoons, with their long shape, also allow you to layer
drinks, especially if you want a cocktail with a float on top.
Originating in Europe, for both eating desserts and mixing medicine
in apothecaries, the spoon is equal to about a teaspoon and is designed in such
a way that the bowl part of the spoon creates a smooth, splashless stir that leaves
no ice cube unmixed.
Justin, AKA ThirstyWhale, whom Kaitlyn stitches with, has a
different opinion as to why a bar spoon has a spiral handle. He says the spoons
are designed to be ergonomic and the twists allow you to easily swirl the spoon
around the glass (as opposed to a flat-handled spoon, which gets caught in your
fingers), another component to that fluid stir. He demonstrates here in this video, where he makes a variation on a
martini -- stirred, not shaken.
Justin says pouring a liquid down the spoon is “overrated,”
but we think it’s kind of cool that the twist can do this neat little trick.
The soda-pouring tip has since gone viral, with bartender Lui
Fernandez (lui_fern) demonstrating it with a stitch to Kaitlyn’s video.
Lui has 18.4 million views of his TikTok video (about 18
times the views on Justin and Kaitlyn’s videos combined) -- that’s a lot of
eyeballs on one video. Expect to see every amateur and
professional bartender trying to be fancy with their gin and tonics, Jack
and Cokes and twisty long spoons.
TL; DR Bar spoons have a unique shape that is great for
easily mixing in a circular motion but they also allow you to pour liquids down
the handle, amazing friends, customers, and anyone watching TikTok.