To Shake or Not to Shake...
Shaken, not stirred...
The line we all remember from the classic James Bond film, but what many don't realize is that this line changed the course of history for the well-known martini cocktail. The mid-1900s cocktail was originally created as a drink to be stirred, not shaken, and there is a specific reason for that. It all has to do with the chemistry of the base spirit for a martini (usually gin or vodka), and the same logic applies to other stirred cocktails like the manhattan or old fashioned.
Let's stick with a gin martini as an example.
Most gins will feature notes of juniper, coriander, lavender, pine, and other botanicals depending on what brand you buy. Those appetizing notes often sit at the top of the gin, interacting with the air on the surface area of the alcohol. Below them are what we would refer to as the middle and bottom-layered notes of gin. Unlike the top layer, these lower layers usually feature notes that are less desirable - often tasting more like straight alcohol than any specific botanical. This is the case with any alcohol. Different notes sit at different layers in the drink due to their density. This is part of the reason why we let wine "breathe" when we open it; we want those less enjoyable sulfur notes on the surface of the wine to dissipate as they interact with the air.
Unlike red wine, gin's most attractive notes sit at the top layer of the spirit.
Whereas we would want to dissipate the top layer sulfur notes in a red wine, gin's top notes of juniper or coriander are what make it delicious. For that reason, we don't want to do anything that would compromise those notes - we want to keep them as intact as possible. However, an interesting thing happens when you shake a gin martini (or any other cocktail with a flavor profile derived largely from the notes of the base spirit). Shaking a cocktail over ice "agitates" the alcohol; you might also have heard the term "bruising" the alcohols. This changes the flavor and layering of botanical notes throughout.
When you shake a gin martini, you change the drink in 3 ways.
First, shaking gin over ice causes those top notes of the gin to break down, thereby changing their density and blending them in with the less desirable notes of the alcohol. In other words, it weakens the more desirable notes. Second (and as a corollary to the first point), this elevates the strength of the less desirable notes in the base spirit. So, it weakens the more desirable notes and strengthens the less desirable notes. Third, the very nature of shaking lukewarm alcohols over ice causes that ice to melt more quickly than it would were you to stir the drink, thereby diluting your martini's flavor with the water from the melted ice. Long story short... a shaken martini will have a less unique flavor profile and a more watery taste and texture,
So, when to shake and when to stir?
While it's ultimately a matter of preference (some people just like the flavor of a shaken drink over a stirred drink), there are a few short-hand rules of thumb to keep in mind. The first is that any time your drink's flavor profile is derived predominantly from a base spirit (i.e., a manahattan, old fashioned, or martini), stir - don't shake. On the flip side, there are at least 4 ingredients that warrant shaking with or without ice:
Outside of those two rules of thumb, if your drink doesn't have any of those 4 ingredients and is not a drink based really only on the notes of the base spirit, the choice is yours as to whether you want to shake or stir. And in any case, the preference of the drinker is ultimately what matters most. Enjoy these tips responsibly!
The line we all remember from the classic James Bond film, but what many don't realize is that this line changed the course of history for the well-known martini cocktail. The mid-1900s cocktail was originally created as a drink to be stirred, not shaken, and there is a specific reason for that. It all has to do with the chemistry of the base spirit for a martini (usually gin or vodka), and the same logic applies to other stirred cocktails like the manhattan or old fashioned.
Let's stick with a gin martini as an example.
Most gins will feature notes of juniper, coriander, lavender, pine, and other botanicals depending on what brand you buy. Those appetizing notes often sit at the top of the gin, interacting with the air on the surface area of the alcohol. Below them are what we would refer to as the middle and bottom-layered notes of gin. Unlike the top layer, these lower layers usually feature notes that are less desirable - often tasting more like straight alcohol than any specific botanical. This is the case with any alcohol. Different notes sit at different layers in the drink due to their density. This is part of the reason why we let wine "breathe" when we open it; we want those less enjoyable sulfur notes on the surface of the wine to dissipate as they interact with the air.
Unlike red wine, gin's most attractive notes sit at the top layer of the spirit.
Whereas we would want to dissipate the top layer sulfur notes in a red wine, gin's top notes of juniper or coriander are what make it delicious. For that reason, we don't want to do anything that would compromise those notes - we want to keep them as intact as possible. However, an interesting thing happens when you shake a gin martini (or any other cocktail with a flavor profile derived largely from the notes of the base spirit). Shaking a cocktail over ice "agitates" the alcohol; you might also have heard the term "bruising" the alcohols. This changes the flavor and layering of botanical notes throughout.
When you shake a gin martini, you change the drink in 3 ways.
First, shaking gin over ice causes those top notes of the gin to break down, thereby changing their density and blending them in with the less desirable notes of the alcohol. In other words, it weakens the more desirable notes. Second (and as a corollary to the first point), this elevates the strength of the less desirable notes in the base spirit. So, it weakens the more desirable notes and strengthens the less desirable notes. Third, the very nature of shaking lukewarm alcohols over ice causes that ice to melt more quickly than it would were you to stir the drink, thereby diluting your martini's flavor with the water from the melted ice. Long story short... a shaken martini will have a less unique flavor profile and a more watery taste and texture,
So, when to shake and when to stir?
While it's ultimately a matter of preference (some people just like the flavor of a shaken drink over a stirred drink), there are a few short-hand rules of thumb to keep in mind. The first is that any time your drink's flavor profile is derived predominantly from a base spirit (i.e., a manahattan, old fashioned, or martini), stir - don't shake. On the flip side, there are at least 4 ingredients that warrant shaking with or without ice:
- Citrus or citrus-based mixers (like orange juice or sweet and sour)
- Cream or heavy cream
- Egg whites
- Four or more base alcohols
Outside of those two rules of thumb, if your drink doesn't have any of those 4 ingredients and is not a drink based really only on the notes of the base spirit, the choice is yours as to whether you want to shake or stir. And in any case, the preference of the drinker is ultimately what matters most. Enjoy these tips responsibly!
