When Cocktails Should Be Shaken And Not Stirred

"Shaken not stirred" isn't just a cool line dropped by the world's most famous fictional secret agent — shaking and stirring have dramatically different effects on a drink. When done properly, a good shake can transform a handful of cocktail ingredients into a libation that's greater than the sum of its parts. Conversely, a poorly shaken drink — or worse, one that is shaken when it should be stirred (or vice versa) — can be an utter disappointment. There is a complex balance of dilution and chilling that occurs when you mix ice into a drink. The way the ice is incorporated affects how diluted and cold the drink gets as well as its texture and mouthfeel.

Returning to James Bond's iconic bar order, the martini is a great cocktail to exemplify the difference. Traditionally stirred, a shaken martini can end up too diluted, its gin flavor compromised (or "bruised"), and even its color becoming cloudy. That last is not because it is a dirty martini, which is cloudy for other reasons, but because shaking infuses the drink with minuscule ice shards. Conversely, a cocktail that's meant to be shaken will never taste the same if stirred, or even "thrown," like a seasoned mixologist would. Fortunately, there are some pretty clear guidelines to figure out when to stir and when to shake. The Lead Bartender at Denver's Poka Lola Social Club, Lexi Parker, gave us some lessons on stirring and shaking cocktails, as well as a helpful list of do's and don'ts.

If you're drinking, say, the strongest cocktail in the world, you don't want it diluted by shaking it with ice. Instead, you want it chilled while still retaining all its subtle flavors and the alcohol's viscosity. Stirring mixes the least amount of water into a cocktail while still chilling it completely. The alternative is to either use frozen spirits or serve the drink on the rocks. The former is inconvenient for home bars, and the latter — on the rocks — will not evenly chill the drink, which is why the rocks are reserved for drinks like whiskey that don't need to be consumed chilled. Any cocktail that is alcohol-forward and uses mainly spirits is a good candidate for stirring. 

"Essentially any cocktail that has citrus in it is (almost always) shaken instead of stirred. Shaken citrus gives the drink a completely different texture and mouthfeel than a stirred cocktail," explains Lexi Parker.

While it's always good to have a basic cocktail shaker set at home, the lack of one shouldn't stop you from shaking the beverage before serving. In a pinch, you can transfer your cocktail ingredients and ice into a wide-mouthed plastic or metal jar with a leak-proof lid, then shake. "My best bit of advice is to shake hard," Parker says. "A poorly shaken cocktail looks and tastes sad, and one of the biggest things I think beginning bartenders need to master is a proper shake."