Shaking versus Stirring

Forget those 007 films. James was way wrong: you don't shake a Martini.

In fact, you almost never shake clear drinks. Instead, you merely stir to chill them.

You do shake mixed drinks that have "complex" ingredients, such as bitters or simple syrup. When shaking a drink, pulverize the ice so there are flecks of it floating atop the bubbles. Shake [665Kbyte .mov] till it's so cold you can't hold on any longer. (Remember that although it's impossible to bruise a drink, you and those around you run the risk of injury.)

Using a silver shaker will win you major style points, but a stainless steel or glass one will suffice. Always have the glasses ready.

Of course, there's no point in shaking a 60-year-old single-malt Macallan, unless the price tag induces the shakes, or your ability to purchase such a malt needs to be announced to the bar patrons with the subtlety of a New York Ranger holding the Stanley Cup.

When shaking drinks such as the Daiquiri, strive to achieve the frappé recounted in Hemingway's Islands in the Stream. The Daiquiri "reminded him of the sea. The frappéd part of the drink was like the wake of a ship and the clear part was the way the water looked when the bow cut it when you were in shallow water over marl bottom. That was almost the exact color."