Thanks to TikTok, I Finally Know Why Bar Spoons Are Spiraled and Now I Can’t Stop Thinking About It

Rochelle Bilow
Rochelle Bilow
Rochelle Bilow is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, and the former social media manager at Bon Appétit and Cooking Light magazines. She has also worked as a cook on a small farm in Central New York and a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City. Her first book, a…read more
published Feb 22, 2022
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Credit: Photo: Andria Lo; Food Styling: Jillian Knox; Prop Styling: Anna Raben

I don’t fancy myself a mixologist by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, when it comes to at-home cocktail hour, I’m as basic as they come: A little scotch, a few drops of bitters, and a splash of water, and I’m a happy camper. I rarely use any of the tools and gadgets on my bar cart. And to be honest, I’ve never used my long-handled spiraled bar spoon. The reason? I just didn’t understood what it was for. 

But thank goodness for viral TikTok videos, because I just learned the reason why tall bar spoons are spiraled — and it is SO fun. I first stumbled across this video from @lui_fern, a bartender and restaurant owner. In the vid, he stitches a prior post that shares the spoon-y secret and tests it out for himself. “Stop! That’s so cool — how did I not know this?!” he exclaims. So what’s all the fuss actually about? Keep reading.

The original video comes from @likeablecocktails. In the post, Kaitlyn Stewart, an international bartending expert, pours a can of Coca-Cola down a long-handled spiral spoon while explaining the multiple uses of the swivel design. “It’s practical, but it’s also kind of a party trick,” Stewart says. The video goes to voiceover while showing how Coke neatly spirals down the spoon. The point, Stewart narrates, is that the spoon allows carbonated beverages to pour without fizzing over. It also quickly guides the soda all the way to the bottom of the glass without losing carbonation. This works for all types of carbonated bevs, from cola to homemade sparkling water.

If by this point you haven’t checked out the videos, I recommend you do so immediately: Watching the fizzy drink quickly snake its way down the spoon is so satisfying. It’s also pretty ingenious. This “trick” won’t work with just any bar spoon though — it has to have that spiral design. But since these spoons are inexpensive, I think it’s a useful investment for at-home drinks. Heck, you could even use it for a better, more evenly fizzy glass of soda — no whiskey required.