Ah, the age old question: shaken or stirred? Curious on when and why to use each technique? Here are a few rules of thumb for your next happy hour:
Shake it!
As a simple rule, it's best to shake any cocktail that involves mixers like egg whites, dairy, or any other type of thicker ingredient to ensure its fully integrated into the drink. Shaking ingredients with ice also chills the cocktail quicker and creates a more textured look.
Stir it up!
Stirred drinks are generally more spirit-forward and involve few mixers. When you stir vs. shake, the ice has less time to melt during the mixing process, resulting in a stronger, boozier cocktail. Most drinks like this are built in a stirring glass and strained into a fresh cocktail glass (think: Martini). But that's not always the case! Some stirred drinks incorporate mixers and can be stirred directly in a cocktail glass (think: Moscow Mule). To create the perfect stir, grab a long-handled bar spoon and rotate it with just your fingers in a circular motion for 20–30 seconds.
Ready to try your hand at these techniques? Head back to the blog to try our spin on the classics!