Food and Beverage Blog - Cocktails

The Ins and Outs of Cocktail Construction

Having a drink at a bar in Philly will often have you wondering why some drinks are shaken and some are stirred.

There are a few reasons why drinks are mixed the way they are, and it typically is dependent upon the cocktail you’re constructing.

The four most common ways of mixing a cocktail are: shaking, stirring, blending, and building.

Shaking is the flashiest way of mixing a cocktail, and it’s the best when you’re making a cocktail that requires the most chilling, dilution, and integration of multiple ingredients. Typically, cocktails that are best shaken are ones that should be served ice cold. They are mostly composed of alcohol, and contain juice. A great example of a quintessential shaken cocktail is the lemon drop. This is a drink that is best enjoyed ice cold. Most of its volume is composed of alcohols (citrus vodka and triple sec) and contains juice (lemon juice). Pro tip: once you shake your cocktail, you can strain it through a cocktail strainer then a fine mesh sieve to remove any ice crystals that have formed.

Everyone’s favorite spy has tried to convince the world that martinis should be shaken, not stirred. But he’s wrong. A gin martini is actually a perfect example of a cocktail that should be stirred. Drinks that should be stirred are mostly composed of alcohol as well but, they are also drinks that should be served a bit warmer. They typically don’t contain juice or any hard to integrate ingredients. Since stirring is more gentle than shaking a cocktail, it neither dilutes as much nor gets quite as cold. Other cocktails that are best stirred include the Old Fashioned, the Manhattan, and the Negroni, all of which can be enjoyed at bars in Philadelphia such as Jack’s. Pro tip: when stirring a cocktail that will also be served on the rocks (with ice), always strain and pour over fresh ice. The used or “dirty” ice will melt faster and water down the finished cocktail faster.

The next way to mix a cocktail is blending - the key to most frozen drinks. Typically, drinks that are best blended use a special blending ice to make frozen drinks. These drinks also contain purees or thick syrups in addition to alcohols and juices. My favorite blended drink is the piña colada. This mixture of coconut cream, rum, and pineapple juice is the perfect adult treat on a hot summer day! Pro tip: always add liquids to the blender before adding ice. To measure the perfect amount of ice for your blended drink, fill the serving glass 3⁄4 with ice and then pour it into the blender.

The last way of mixing a cocktail is called building, and it’s also the easiest! This method of mixing involves adding ingredients directly to the serving glass over ice. Cocktails that are built drinks typically contain only a spirit and a mixer, milk or cream, or either a hot or carbonated beverage. Examples of build cocktails are whiskey and water (spirit and mixer), Irish coffee (hot ingredient), and gin and tonic (carbonated ingredient). There are also some cocktails that are meant to have distinct layers. These cocktails are built (instead of shaken) to preserve the layers in the finished drink. One example of this technique is a tequila sunrise. Pro tip: always add the grenadine last to get the perfect gradient/sunrise effect.

You can enjoy different varieties of shaken, stirred, blended, and built cocktails at Jack’s Bar + Grill! Stop by the bar for Happy Hour in Philly or check out our dining and restaurant specials! Read our other Food and Beverage blogs here!

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