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Stirring a Cocktail

I never thought I would be writing about this, but I just watched a number of You Tube videos on how to properly stir a cocktail. Seems to be arguably more technique to it than one might think and the usual strongly held differing opinions, including regarding such things as which end of the bar spoon should go into the stirring glass.

One thing I did not see was a technique a bartender showed me of sort of pulling and pushing the bar spoon up and down through the ice and liquid, which works better in a shaker tin than in a typical mixing glass.

I probably stir more than a professional bartender would, because time is not money to me and I want the drink as cold as possible. I suppose I am also using better quality, usually clear ice, so I am not much concerned about dilution either.

It does seem to me that there is some technique in letting the spoon twist in one's fingers as end travels around the inside of the outside of the glass, if you know what I mean.

I am not getting into any stir versus shaking issues.
 
Just like shuffling playing cards, there is likely a number of “stirs” that fully mixes the drink that is far fewer than anyone actually stirs a drink.


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TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
One thing I did not see was a technique a bartender showed me of sort of pulling and pushing the bar spoon up and down through the ice and liquid, which works better in a shaker tin than in a typical mixing glass.

I see some bartenders do that, but I never like to see it. While it seems like a perfectly good way to mix up the ingredients in a drink, it does not appear to be a good way to chill a drink without creating ice chips. You're still banging the ice around in there a heck of a lot, making little chips. It also sounds awful, like my drink is gulping for air.

The very shape of the bar spoon implies that one should stir around the perimeter of the vessel, and the better bartenders I see do it only that way. They use the bowl of the spoon for measuring smaller amounts of ingredients.
 
ou're still banging the ice around in there a heck of a lot, making little chips.

That sounds right to me. I double strain even martinis, which I definitely stir in the around the perimeter fashion. Seems to me that stirring method is close to shaking. The bartender who showed me that turned me onto Manhattans, for which I am forever grateful.
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
Would it make sense to keep liquor in the freezer at home, to keep the temperature down? Someone wanting a well-chilled martini (or whatever drink) not polluted with excessive ice chips and ice melt might like his gin to be pre-cooled.

Thoughts?

I am not getting into any stir versus shaking issues.

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TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
Would it make sense to keep liquor in the freezer at home, to keep the temperature down? Someone wanting a well-chilled martini (or whatever drink) not polluted with excessive ice chips and ice melt might like his gin to be pre-cooled.

Thoughts?



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You want some melting, but not too much. A very good bartender told me that, as well as to keep your gin out of the freezer.
 
Would it make sense to keep liquor in the freezer at home, to keep the temperature down? Someone wanting a well-chilled martini (or whatever drink) not polluted with excessive ice chips and ice melt might like his gin to be pre-cooled. Thoughts?


I have kept a pre-mixed bottle of Vodka Gimlet in the freezer. (26 oz. bottle Vodka less a cup, add a cup of Rose's Sweetened Lime, and a tsp. water), nice to have a cold drink.

My Vermouths, Campari, etc. I always keep in the fridge.
 

TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
I always keep vermouth in the fridge, but Campari has enough booze in it to stay on the shelf.
 
<Would it make sense to keep liquor in the freezer at home, to keep the temperature down? Someone wanting a well-chilled martini (or whatever drink) not polluted with excessive ice chips and ice melt might like his gin to be pre-cooled.

Thoughts? >

We would need a bigger freezer as we seem to frequently switch off what we drink at my house, but to buy stuff by the handle! It would make sense to me to have glasses in the freezer, too. Seems like a good question, though. As I said, I double strain everything (julep or Hawthorn strainer plus fine mesh strainer) so that there are no ice chips. Mixologists say that some dilution from shaking or stirring with ice is a good thing and appropriate to the particular recipe. But the type of ice greatly affects the amount of dilution, as I understand it, and no one seems to much worry about what type of ice is being used. I made a fair amount of clear ice when the weather was cold and have been using that for everything. I would say that it is harder and melts much slower than most cube ice available to me, and thus provides less dilution for mixed drinks whether shaken or stirred.

I think a lot of mixologists prefer higher proof liquors for at least certain mixed drinks because the liquor flavor will presumably stand up better to other ingredients. 100 proof rye in a Manhattan or Navy strength gin in a martini or gimlet seems to bear this theory out, although I find I do not always want my drink to be that strong. It seems to me that a liquor at freezer temperature without ice is a lot like a stronger liquor cooled by stirring or shaking with ice.

I would not think that gin or vodka kept in the freezer would be harmed flavor-wise. I do not know about whiskey. I like others already keep my vermouth in the fridge. Why was the pro bartender saying to keep gin out of the freezer?

As I think about it, if I were making a lot of martinis, if I thought of it, I think I would put the bottle of gin in the freezer. I might still stir the gin and vermouth over ice, still, but it would conserve ice. I suppose gin kept in a freezer could be too cold. I do not think we want to be drinking below zero gin. Could freeze a throat or something.

Just my thoughts!
 
Too much thought process

  1. Open bottle.
  2. Toss away cap.
  3. Place bottle against lips and Invert.
  4. Repeat until empty
  5. Go to step #1 and repeat

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