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Shaken vs Stirred
When a drink is shaken, when it is stirred, and what each actually does to it.
Which should you use?
Shake anything with citrus, juice, cream or egg: it needs the force to mix and the air to lighten it. Stir anything made only of spirits, wines and bitters: it should stay clear, dense and silky. The rule covers almost every recipe, and where a recipe breaks it, it says so.
| Dimension | Shaking | Stirring |
|---|---|---|
| Air | A lot — the drink turns cloudy and lighter on the tongue | Almost none — the drink stays clear |
| Dilution | Around a quarter of the finished drink | A little less, about a fifth |
| Time | 10–15 seconds, hard | 20–30 seconds or more |
| Texture | Frothy, bright | Silky, weighty |
| Use for | Sours, Daiquiris, Margaritas, anything with egg | Martinis, Manhattans, Negronis, Old Fashioneds |
Using one in place of the other
A shaken Martini is colder, cloudier and thinner — the James Bond order, and not wrong, just different. A stirred Daiquiri is under-mixed and flat.