Ah, a classic cocktail mixing glass. The must-have bar accessory to make...wait...what do you use it for?
As it turns out, there are a number of cocktails that should be stirred, not shaken. Which means, every seasoned bartender should know this cardinal rule of mixology-- and many of us don’t.
The good news is, the recipe is simple: if the cocktail recipe calls for spirits only, you should be stirring the ingredients together. This allows for the flavor of the liquor to reign as the main attraction. Stirring produces a clearer drink with a denser body and less dilution than a shaken cocktail. Simply, pour your ingredients into the mixing glass, grab your spoon, swirl it into a perfectly balanced concoction and enjoy!
Classic stirred cocktails like an Old Fashioned, Sazerac, Manhattan, Marini, Negroni, and a Rusty Nail, do not belong in a cocktail shaker. We repeat, do NOT belong in a cocktail shaker.
If you’re thinking: “I’ve been making martini’s wrong my whole life,” you’re not alone. You’ve seen James Bond order his (shaken not stirred) martini countless times on screen and you watched Blake Lively’s character, Emily Nelson, shake up ‘the perfect martini’ in a Simple Favor, but in both instances (and countless others) they are shaking their martinis for show. As it turns out, no self respecting bartender, mixologist or hostess would EVER be caught shaking a martini.
Hey, if you’ve been using a cocktail mixer wrong, we’re here to tell you, it’s about the fun and not the fuss-- so don’t sweat it.
Before we send you off to tell your friends about your new (and impressive) mixology knowledge. We want to give you a bit of insight into what drinks you should be using a cocktail shaker for. Just to be sure you don’t confuse the two in the future.
Ingredients like fruit juice, eggs, and dairy are a bit harder to combine than spirits, therefore it is best to shake any cocktail where these ingredients are part of the recipe. Shaking dilutes the alcohol to combine acid and sugar together, so they can live happily ever after in your glass.
Now, get out there, stir up some fun.