Comments on: Shaken or Stirred? http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995 Cocktails + Hackers == Cocktail Hacker Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:46:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Tony Harion http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995&cpage=1#comment-342 Tony Harion Sun, 07 Jun 2009 03:04:30 +0000 http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995#comment-342 Great post Reese! I´ll probably do some testing in this area in a a near future, i´ll let you know how it went. Cheers, Tony Great post Reese!

I´ll probably do some testing in this area in a a near future, i´ll let you know how it went.

Cheers,

Tony

]]> By: Matt http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995&cpage=1#comment-327 Matt Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:17:51 +0000 http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995#comment-327 Reese, To work out how much of the additional volume in the shaken martini is air you should leave it to sit for several hours at room temp. Remember also that ice (crystalline water) actually takes up more room than liquid water due to Hydrogen bonding. I would be very interested to know the final volume because as stated above taste is all about temperature and dilution. Cheers matt. Reese,
To work out how much of the additional volume in the shaken martini is air you should leave it to sit for several hours at room temp. Remember also that ice (crystalline water) actually takes up more room than liquid water due to Hydrogen bonding.

I would be very interested to know the final volume because as stated above taste is all about temperature and dilution.

Cheers matt.

]]> By: Reese http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995&cpage=1#comment-323 Reese Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:54:48 +0000 http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995#comment-323 Rick - I went for 3 cubes because that was all that was needed to chill the amount of gin I used in the stirring test. However, in thinking more about it I would think adding more ice would increase the temperature range even more as there would be much more surface area in the shaken drink. Hmmmm....something to try out. Rick – I went for 3 cubes because that was all that was needed to chill the amount of gin I used in the stirring test. However, in thinking more about it I would think adding more ice would increase the temperature range even more as there would be much more surface area in the shaken drink.

Hmmmm….something to try out.

]]> By: Rick http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995&cpage=1#comment-318 Rick Sun, 31 May 2009 19:06:58 +0000 http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995#comment-318 Reese, Why did you only use 3 ice cubes? I wonder if your temperature results would be different with a full glass of ice... Awesome post! Reese,

Why did you only use 3 ice cubes? I wonder if your temperature results would be different with a full glass of ice…

Awesome post!

]]> By: Doug Winship http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995&cpage=1#comment-310 Doug Winship Sun, 24 May 2009 21:18:49 +0000 http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995#comment-310 On the subject of "bruising the gin", Embury states that it isn't the gin that is bruised, but the vermouth. This makes sense to me, as vermouth is both more perishable and more volatile than gin. In that case, if your take yours as a Montgomery, i.e. with little or no vermouth, you can shake with no likely consequences. On the subject of “bruising the gin”, Embury states that it isn’t the gin that is bruised, but the vermouth. This makes sense to me, as vermouth is both more perishable and more volatile than gin.
In that case, if your take yours as a Montgomery, i.e. with little or no vermouth, you can shake with no likely consequences.

]]> By: The Pisco Sour | The Pegu Blog http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995&cpage=1#comment-303 The Pisco Sour | The Pegu Blog Sat, 23 May 2009 17:13:58 +0000 http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995#comment-303 [...] end up with freakishly large arms. Now, I just did a post on ice, and that research (spurred by Reese) along with Robert’s video leads me to suggest a better way. Note that the ice Robert uses is [...] [...] end up with freakishly large arms. Now, I just did a post on ice, and that research (spurred by Reese) along with Robert’s video leads me to suggest a better way. Note that the ice Robert uses is [...]

]]> By: The Pisco Sour | The Mixoloseum http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995&cpage=1#comment-302 The Pisco Sour | The Mixoloseum Sat, 23 May 2009 14:31:09 +0000 http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995#comment-302 [...] end up with freakishly large arms. Now, I just did a post on ice, and that research (spurred by Reese) along with Robert’s video leads me to suggest a better way. Note that the ice Robert uses is [...] [...] end up with freakishly large arms. Now, I just did a post on ice, and that research (spurred by Reese) along with Robert’s video leads me to suggest a better way. Note that the ice Robert uses is [...]

]]> By: Cocktail Hacker » Blog Archive » Dan’s Classic Martini http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995&cpage=1#comment-299 Cocktail Hacker » Blog Archive » Dan’s Classic Martini Thu, 21 May 2009 20:27:55 +0000 http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995#comment-299 [...] week I posted about the differences between shaking and stirring.  Since the post was focused on the merits of shaking or stirring Martini like drinks specifically [...] [...] week I posted about the differences between shaking and stirring.  Since the post was focused on the merits of shaking or stirring Martini like drinks specifically [...]

]]> By: Dirty Martini http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995&cpage=1#comment-294 Dirty Martini Sat, 16 May 2009 02:33:18 +0000 http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995#comment-294 Two words, you rock. Thank you for this awesome and completely educational blog which answered a fundamental question I didn't realize I'd been asking myself for years. Hmmm. Thanks. I, of course prefer mine shaken and a bit dirty. As for the frozen hand, a bartender friend of mine keeps clean, warm and wet dishrags just under her station and a quick pat pre and post shake assist in the digit thaw when she's knee deep in fancy drinks. Two words, you rock. Thank you for this awesome and completely educational blog which answered a fundamental question I didn’t realize I’d been asking myself for years. Hmmm. Thanks. I, of course prefer mine shaken and a bit dirty. As for the frozen hand, a bartender friend of mine keeps clean, warm and wet dishrags just under her station and a quick pat pre and post shake assist in the digit thaw when she’s knee deep in fancy drinks.

]]> By: Reese http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995&cpage=1#comment-291 Reese Fri, 15 May 2009 17:24:52 +0000 http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=995#comment-291 Ryan -> Bruising gin generally refers to the belief that if one shakes a gin martini the flavor of the gin is altered. Usually the claim is that the flavor of the spirit becomes sharper when shaken rather than stirred. I'm not sure I believe the hype. There is a small discussion of the <a href="http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/367177 rel="nofollow">topic on Chow</a>. Jonathan (JMF) claims that the cause of the sharper flavor is the oxidation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldehyde" rel="nofollow">aldehydes</a> in the spirit. And while aldehydes do oxidize relatively easily I see two issues. One, if the aldehydes were going to oxidize they would have done so as soon as they came in contact with a oxygen source. Two, although aldehydes do provide some flavor components in a gin they are usually minimized by distillers as they are one of the chemicals known to contribute to hangovers. I think it's more likely that the difference in flavor comes from the increased amount of ice and water in the cocktail and the vast difference in temperature at which the drink is served. In <a href="http://www.killingtime.com/Pegu/2009/05/14/shaken-vs-stirred/" rel="nofollow">Doug's post</a> about the topic he mentions that he prefers his Martinis "looking as if you could peer closely and see Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio clinging to a piece of flotsam amidst the ice flakes". While a humorous mental image there is a good piece of wisdom to take away. Enjoy your cocktails however you prefer them. While there are some guidelines on how things should be done none are set in stone. Your enjoyment of the final product is much more important than doing things "the way they should be done". Ryan -> Bruising gin generally refers to the belief that if one shakes a gin martini the flavor of the gin is altered. Usually the claim is that the flavor of the spirit becomes sharper when shaken rather than stirred. I’m not sure I believe the hype.

There is a small discussion of the topic on Chow.
Jonathan (JMF) claims that the cause of the sharper flavor is the oxidation of aldehydes in the spirit. And while aldehydes do oxidize relatively easily I see two issues. One, if the aldehydes were going to oxidize they would have done so as soon as they came in contact with a oxygen source. Two, although aldehydes do provide some flavor components in a gin they are usually minimized by distillers as they are one of the chemicals known to contribute to hangovers.

I think it’s more likely that the difference in flavor comes from the increased amount of ice and water in the cocktail and the vast difference in temperature at which the drink is served.

In Doug’s post about the topic he mentions that he prefers his Martinis “looking as if you could peer closely and see Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio clinging to a piece of flotsam amidst the ice flakes”. While a humorous mental image there is a good piece of wisdom to take away. Enjoy your cocktails however you prefer them. While there are some guidelines on how things should be done none are set in stone. Your enjoyment of the final product is much more important than doing things “the way they should be done”.

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