Shaking vs Stirring

Shake

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Used for: Citrus or juice-based drinks

Why: Mixes and chills thick ingredients quickly

Examples: Margarita, Whiskey Sour, Cosmopolitan

Shaking — Add ingredients and ice to a shaker, seal it, and shake hard for about 10–15 seconds until the outside feels frosty.

Stir

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Used for: Clear, spirit-only drinks

Why: Chills gently without adding bubbles or cloudiness

Examples: Martini, Negroni, Old Fashioned

Stirring — Add ingredients and ice to a mixing glass and stir gently with a bar spoon for about 20–30 seconds.

If a drink has juice, cream, or citrus — shake it. If it is all clear spirits — stir it. Shaking a Martini makes it cloudy; stirring a Margarita leaves it flat.