passoire à julep

CONT: Originating in the days before plastic straws, the julep strainer was originally designed as a large, slotted, spoon-like implement, which the drinker placed over the top of an iced drink (such as a mint julep) to hold the ice back away from the teeth. As spirit-driven cocktails grew in popularity, bartenders began to use the spoon-like strainer as a tool to strain stirred drinks.