When to Stir and When to Shake
Your cocktail snob friend might freak out (or worse, a lecture) at the word “shake, not stir,” but while their feelings for a shaken martini are true, shaking a cocktail can actually be beneficial.
The decision to shake or stir a cocktail has nothing to do with the “bruising” of the drink – alcohol has no circulatory system – and it all has to do with your ingredients and their relative gravity. In the words of my favorite bartender, Daniel Casteau , “Do you want to stir and drink or shake and refresh?” If your drink is completely alcoholic – like in a martini – all densities will be, if not the same, very close, which means you don’t need a lot of excitement to get everyone together. However, once you start adding juices and thick, viscous syrups, you will need to create a little more turbulence to get a smooth drink without a puddle of cold syrup at the bottom.
It is also a matter of taste. Both shaking and stirring cool and dilute the drink, but vigorous shaking also causes air (small bubbles) to enter your drink, which can be quite pleasant when needed. I can only speak for myself, but I don’t want a frothy martini. I want my martini to be smooth and satin and very cold, and thinned just enough to soften the harsh taste of the ethanol. What if I drink daiquiri? You better shake this thing up – I mean, really slap it as hard as you can for at least 10 seconds. The extra physical strength will ensure that everyone really gets to know each other, regardless of their viscosity, and creates a light and airy cocktail that turns out to be a very good thing.