Shaken and stirred

Time to take another look at the classic debate

Shaken or stirred Which is better This endless debate goes on. For me, both work, depending upon the nature of the cocktails, and the ingredients used.

I love the way a shaken cocktail blends the ingredients homogenously and infuses air to create a slight effervescence. And yes, the frothy appearance of a shaken cocktail appeals immensely as well.

Non-alcoholic additions like egg whites, cream, juices, call for cocktails to be shaken. Shaking is reserved for hard-to-blend drinks with creamy ingredients that do not require clarity. It’s fun to watch mixologists and bartenders adroitly shake cocktails in a Boston shaker. Ingredients are poured into an ice-filled shaker, then shaken vigorously until the contents are cold and well mixed. They are then strained and served.

Maiden’s blush, a shaken cocktail with two shots of gin, Cointreau, pomegranate syrup, lemon juice and water is one of my all-time favourites. A shaken Martini with a good crisp bite is unparalleled of course. Margarita, Cosmopolitan, Whisky Sour, Watermelon Fizz, a Mai Tai cocktail, are other shaken drinks no one can resist. Tom Collins with gin and syrup has to be cleverly shaken with lots of ice, then strained and poured into a glass and finished with soda. I tried shaking one recently and did a fair job of it for a first timer! Bartenders make it look so simple!

A bartender friend in London once treated me to a shaken cocktail with rum, vodka, Cointreau triple sec and three juices — cranberry, orange and pineapple. He shook them well and then after pouring, squeezed lime over it. Refreshing and heady! He served it in vintage glassware, which gave it a different look altogether.

Sean Pereira, bar concept manager at Woodside Inn, Colaba, Mumbai, recently made me a shaken cocktail with Aperol, egg white, Demerara sugar and sparkling wine. I have not had too many shaken cocktails with wine, and this one had a bubbly light feeling with a Prosecco.

Shaken cocktails may be a rage, but getting the technique right is critical. A drink should never be shaken for too long, or it will easily become watered down, a bartender once told me. He also suggested that a drink should be shaken with cubed ice, rather than with crushed ice, as the levels of dilution are higher. Shaken drinks should preferably be consumed immediately, as with time, texture is lost.

So, if it’s a frothy, velvety consistency you’re seeking in your drink tonight, opt for a shaken cocktail. Shake it long and hard and you will be rewarded with a great cocktail.

Mini is a food writer