Lesson 4: Ice, Dilution, Shaking, Stirring, and Straining

Here is a secret that surprises most people: water is one of the most important ingredients in a cocktail. Shaking or stirring with ice does not just make a drink cold. It melts a little ice into it, softening the alcohol and pulling the flavors together.

Ice matters more than you think

• Use fresh ice. Ice that has sat in the freezer for weeks picks up flavors. Nobody wants a Margarita that tastes like frozen fish sticks.
• Use plenty of it. A shaker full of ice chills faster and melts less than a shaker with three lonely cubes.
• Cubes are your everyday workhorse. Crushed ice melts fast and suits tropical and frosty drinks. Big cubes melt slowly and suit sipping drinks on the rocks.
• Never reuse shaking ice in the serving glass. It is broken up and half-melted. Strain over fresh ice.

Shake or stir?

Here is the simple rule most home bartenders follow:

Shake it if it has…	Stir it if it is…
Citrus or other juice	All spirits, liqueurs, and vermouth
Cream, milk, or coconut cream	Meant to be clear and silky
Egg white or thick syrups	Examples: Martini, Manhattan, Old Fashioned

Shaking adds air and a frothy, cloudy texture, which suits juicy drinks. Stirring keeps a spirit-forward drink smooth and clear.

How to shake

1. Add your ingredients to the shaker first, then fill it about two-thirds with ice.
2. Seal it tightly. Hold it with both hands, one on each end.
3. Shake hard for 10 to 15 seconds, until the outside feels painfully cold and frosty.
4. Strain into your glass, over fresh ice if the recipe calls for it.

How to stir

1. Add ingredients to a mixing glass or large measuring cup, then fill with ice.
2. Stir smoothly with a long spoon for 20 to 30 seconds. Think gentle laps around the inside of the glass, not whipping cream.
3. Strain into a chilled glass.

Straining, building, and layering

• Strain: pour through a strainer to hold back ice and fruit.
• Double strain: pour through your regular strainer and a fine-mesh strainer to catch tiny ice chips and pulp. Nice for drinks served without ice.
• Build: make the drink right in the serving glass. Ice, spirit, mixer, quick stir. This is how most highballs are made.
• Layer or float: pour the top ingredient very slowly over the back of a spoon held just above the drink. Ingredients with more sugar are heavier and sink; lighter ones float.

Wondering about terms like dry shake or dirty dump? They are explained in the Bar Terms Glossary.