Jigger

Jigger

A "jigger" can either be a measuring device used by bartenders, or a unit of measure (typically 1.5 ounces).

As a measuring device, the typical jigger is a metal, hour-glass shaped receptacle, which can measure two different amounts. The larger end would measure a "jigger" (1.5 ounces) and the smaller end would measure a "pony" (1 ounce).

Ounces versus Milliliter

For cocktail recipes measured in "ounces" it is common to use 1/4 ounce increments, which is how virtually all jiggers are designed. Outside of the US, where metric measurements (instead of "Imperial") are more common and most recipes are listed in milliliters (ml). Recipes listed in ml will usually use measures in increments of 5ml, which doesn't quite match up to 1/4 ounce increments, so simply doing a conversion from one to the other doesn't always produce appropriate results. One of these days, the US will join the rest of the world and switch to metric.

Here is a comparison of 1/4 ounce increments to their milliliter equivalent versus 5ml increments to their ounce equivalent.

oz	ml	versus	ml	oz
1 tsp	5		5	1 tsp
1/4	7.5		10	1/3
1/2	15		15	1/2
3/4	22.5		20	2/3
1	30		25	5/6
1 1/4	37.5		30	1
1 1/2	45		35	1 1/6
1 3/4	52.5		40	1 1/3
2	60		45	1 1/2
			50	1 2/3
			55	1 5/6
			60	2

Selecting A Proper Jigger

Types of Jiggers

There are jiggers which are designed to measure different amounts of liquid, similar to how a large glass measure might have lines indicating different measures. On the face of it, this might seem like a great option, and for the beginner it might be (just from a tool-reduction standpoint). In practice however, especially by professional bartenders, this can often be problematic. A "single measure" jigger will allow you to quickly measure out the desired amount of liquid, while with a graduated jigger you have to carefully look to make sure you've poured to the desired level. It can often be quicker to simply pick up a different jigger instead of needing to pause to check levels, especially in a dark bar.

Size Matters

When selecting a double ended jigger the first decision is to pick which sizes to get, and in what combination. As noted above, in the US, virtually all cocktail recipes have standardized on measures in 1/4 ounce increments. While you could collect a set of measures that allow you to measure individually anything from 1/2 to 3 ounces, the shear number of jiggers you would have in front of you, and the difficulty in quickly seeing which is which, would defeat the purpose. If you think about the combinations needed to allow you to easily measure any recipe, the fewest measures you need would be 1/2, 3/4, 1, and 2 ounces (1/4 ounce is difficult, since it is so small, jiggers are rarely made to measure this out). With this setup, virtually any measure you might need would require at most two "measures" (eg 1-1/4 would be a 1/2 and 3/4 measure). The best combination of measures to use are one jigger measuring 1/2 and 3/4, and the other measuring 1 and 2 ounces.

Surface Tension

When using a jigger to obtain the most accurate measure, it is important to understand "surface tension", this is true when measuring any type of liquid in a properly designed liquid measuring device. If your measure is intended to be filled to the top for an accurate measure (like a jigger), then you don't want the liquid to be perfectly level at the top, but instead to bulge just slightly, this is the surface tension of the liquid coming into play. If on the other hand, you are using a graduated measure, and trying to measure to one of the lines along the side, then it is just the opposite. If you look at the liquid level in a graduated measure, you will notice that it "climbs up the side" just a little bit, forming a very slight "bowl" of liquid. For this type of measurement, it is accurately measured by looking at where the bottom of the "bowl" match the measurement lines.

What To Avoid

Since a jigger is intended to provide an accurate and consistent measure it is surprising that there are so many on the market which do not actually list what measure they are designed for. They assume by just provide a "bigger end" and "smaller end" that this is all that is necessary, or they may list the measures on the box it comes in (which is quickly thrown away), but not on the jigger itself. Always make sure that the jiggers you pick up are clearly labeled on the jigger itself what they measure.

Recommendations

For the beginner, perhaps something like the "Oxo Mini-Angled Measure" jigger might be a good choice, but for the experienced cocktail enthusiast or bartender, a more traditional double ended jigger is probably better. Select two jiggers, one that includes 1/2 and 3/4 ounce measures, and one that includes 1 and 2 ounce measures.

There are of course countless jiggers available, here are just a few of our favorites:

• Oxo Mini Angled Jigger in either plastic (around $6) or steel (around $8) .

• Cocktail Kingdom carries a wide variety of jiggers, our favorite is probably their "Japanese Style Jigger" (around $10 each)

The jiggers on Cocktail Kingdom are quality made, and priced appropriately. If you need something more budget minded, there are various "Restaurant Supply Store" options which may offer products at a lower price. For jiggers, the biggest problem is going to be wading through the different sizes they think you may need, and finding the right ones. For some reason, the 1/2-3/4 sized jiggers always appear to be problematic to find. But here are a couple options we found on Webstaurant Store:

• American Metalcraft Stainless Steel Japanese Style Jiggers (around $2 each)

• American Metalcraft Simple Stainless Steel Jiggers (less than $2 each)

External Links

• Design For A Jigger (C. P. Dungan, 1893) (Google Patents)
• How To Use a Jigger for Good Measure (KegWorks.com)