When should you shake a cocktail and when should you stir it?

Those starting out in home cocktail making often think that every cocktail should be shaken. Perhaps the influence of James Bond, with his martini, or the scenes of Tom Cruise twirling bottles in "Cocktail" explain this habit. If you want to impress with the quality of your drinks, it's important to know when to shake and when to stir.

According to Cocktails & Bars, drinks that are stirred are usually clear or made only with spirits. In these cases, stirring serves to cool, blend, and slightly dilute the drink. MasterClass includes cocktails like the Manhattan, the Negroni, and the Corpse Reviver in this group.

According to GQ, shaken cocktails often include an additional ingredient, such as egg white, fruit juice, honey, or cream. Margaritas, daiquiris, and whiskey sours fall into this category. The classic martini isn't on that list, something Mr. Bond might regret.

Shaking also has an effect that stirring doesn't: it aerates the drink. According to GQ, shaking achieves the same results as stirring (integration, dilution, and cooling) and, in addition, incorporates air. Mad River Distillers states that when a shaken cocktail is poured into a glass, it can appear carbonated. Punch adds that this is especially true for drinks containing egg white or cream, whose protein-rich ingredients trap air bubbles and can foam after just a few vigorous shakes.

This isn't suitable for all drinks. MasterClass states that shaking a martini ruins the smooth, velvety texture achieved by stirring, and that it adds small pieces of ice that cloud its clear appearance.

For a good shake, GQ recommends a two-piece Boston shaker, which offers more room for aeration than smaller, three-piece shakers. You'll need two glasses, or a metal shaker and a similarly sized glass. Add the ingredients with ice and close the shaker firmly with the palm of your hand. The shaking time depends on the ice: larger cubes take longer because they are harder to break up and chill the drink. MasterClass adds that cold ice makes a big difference compared to the damp, half-melted ice in an ice bucket. Solid ice allows you to feel it melting; crushed ice melts differently, and it's difficult to tell when it's been shaken vigorously enough.

According to GQ, when finished, it's a good idea to tap the side of the glasses with the palm of your hand to loosen the seal, and pass the drink through a double filter to retain the large pieces of ice.