How to Properly Stir Your Cocktail
There are few things classier than a beautifully stirred spirit-forward cocktail. From Negronis to Manhattans, to the classic Old Fashioned; these cocktails exude a history of balance and complexity. So when you get one that isn’t quite right, you know it.
Sometimes this comes down to the preparation and the stir.
We’re breaking down how to perfectly prep and stir a cocktail whether you’re behind the bar or at home.
Order of Operations:
Always start with no ice in your mixing glass. We recommend our Bull in China Artisan Mixing Glass, bartenders have said it “stirs like a Cadillac” and we tend to agree with them.
From there, start building your cocktail with the smallest amount of ingredients first. Usually that's the bitters. This allows you to not waste precious spirits if a wrong measurement occurs in the process.
Always use a jigger to measure your spirits to ensure you have the right ratio of spirits going into your cocktail. Our Hammered Bell Jiggers are the perfect blend of functionality and craftsmanship to ensure the right measurements, and to look good while doing it.
Once you’ve built your cocktail, prep your rocks glass with tempered ice if applicable or have your stemware ready to go so once you are done stirring your cocktail can immediately be poured into the appropriate vessel.
Now it’s time to add the ice to your mixing glass. Fill the glass about ¾ full with ice. The more ice you have actually controls dilution more as the ice temperature binds and stays consistent throughout the stir. Less ice means more dilution. The goal here is to unite the flavors of each spirit while retaining that silky velvety texture of a well stirred cocktail.
Time to stir.
Place your barsoon into the side of the mixing glass and simultaneously rotate the barspoon around the inside of the mixing glass while also rotating between your fingers. This can take some time to master so feel free to practice with an empty mixing glass. The goal here is to not introduce any bubbles so be gentle with your stir.
The best bartenders in the world have a “silent stir” meaning the barspoon never leaves the inside of the mixing glass and gently combines the spirits.
How Many Stirs? It Depends
Every cocktail has a unique amount of stirs necessary and this can vary if the cocktail is being served on a rock. You may want to stir slightly less for something like an Old Fashioned because it will be served over ice than say a Manhattan that will be served in a coupe as the latter will not dilute further due to no ice being present. This is where mastery and personal preference comes into play. Experiment with the amount of stirs to find how you best like your cocktail served. A good rule of thumb to start though is about 20 rotations.
From there, strain your stirred cocktail using a Julep Strainer, Hawthorne Strainer or Antique Style Hawthorne Strainer. This ensures no small ice crystals end up in your cocktail. In the industry we call this “ducks on the pond”. We love our waterfowl friends, but not in our cocktail. You spent all of this time perfectly combining your spirits into a beautiful cocktail and unwanted ice can increase dilution and damage the texture of the cocktail. Use a strainer, you won’t regret it.
Now that your cocktail is poured, quickly garnish, serve and enjoy! You’ve earned it.
