Building, stirring, and mixing – preparation methods of cocktail Toronto professionals.
James Bond always ordered his martini “Shaken, not stirred!” – and he knew exactly why: shaking makes the drink come into more intense contact with the ice and therefore serve it colder.
But shaking is not the best method for every drink: after all, cocktails can also be built, stirred, and mixed. When to choose which method of preparation, how to do it, and what equipment you need, our cocktail pros reveal here.
Building a Toronto cocktail
Building a cocktail” is when you prepare the drink layer by layer directly in the serving glass. It is the easiest and often the fastest way to make a drink. There are a few rules to follow:
Since all the ingredients are put directly into the serving glass, you should always use enough ice. After all, you can’t chill the cocktail later. And nothing tastes more awful than a drink that is too warm. Of course, there are exceptions: Layer cocktails you build without ice as with any rule. The following applies to all built cocktails: The individual ingredients must always be carefully poured over a bar spoon. Otherwise, the different layers will blur together.
If you’ve done everything right, the result is a cocktail beautifully fanned out into individual layers – like the B-52, for example.
Stirring a cocktail (stirr)
You stir a cocktail when the ingredients in a recipe mix easily, and you want to serve a clear drink.
As an example, we present a Rosemary Martini, which consists of only two main ingredients. First, you put a sprig of rosemary in a glass and lightly press it. Next, add the other ingredients to the mixing glass with ice cubes. At the same time, pre-chill the serving glass (V-shape) with ice. Then carefully stir the ingredients with the bar spoon to mix them and chill the drink down.
Finally, pour the finished cocktail into the V-Shape glass with a Double Strain and decorate the cocktail with a sprig of rosemary. Note: Remove the ice from the serving glass before doing so.
Voila: The drink is cold, clear, and delicious!
Mixing a Toronto cocktail (blend)
To mix a Toronto cocktail, you need some technical help: a blender. For frozen or fresh fruit drinks, use a blender with sharp blades. If you want to serve an iced cocktail (frozen), all the ingredients with ice are put into the blender and pureed.
The most popular frozen cocktails are the Margarita and the Daiquiri. A blender with a whisk attachment is the best choice for cocktails that need to be very creamy. This ensures that the ingredients are whipped to a nice frothy consistency.
Shake a cocktail
Shaking a cocktail is probably the most spectacular way to prepare a drink. Shaking not only harmoniously combines the ingredients but also cools down the Toronto cocktail simultaneously. But not all shaking is the same. There are different techniques. They are called “Dry Shake,” “Hard Shake,” and “classic eight.”
Dry Shake: Good technique for cocktails with juice content. The ingredients are poured into a shaker with a wire spiral without ice and shaken. Only at the end do you add the ice. With the “Dry Shake,” you get foamy drinks with intense flavor.
Hard Shake: This technique involves shaking the ingredients vigorously in a cobbler shaker made entirely of metal. This cools the drink down more than a conventional shaker. In addition, aromatic substances from fruits and herbs are released more intensively. A double strain is used at the end to ensure that no small particles remain in the drink.
Eight Shake: The name says it all: With the “Eight Shake,” the ice cubes are swirled in the shaker in the shape of a lying eight. In this way, the ingredients mix optimally, and the ice releases its coldness to the drink better. The result is a beautiful Toronto cocktail with intense flavors.
The Barschule München recommends the “Gin Tea Style” for shaking.