Message 23973 of 39188 in General Discussion

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AFAIK, I'm pretty sure everyone on the boards here would agree that 'bruising 
the gin' is a myth of horsecodswallop sized proportions. Shaking a martini (or 
manhattan for that matter) agitates and adds air to the two spirits, and when 
poured the mix appears 'cloudy'. You'll notice that it eventually clears up 
again after a few minutes, but it's that first few seconds / minute for the 
'wow factor' that you're really stirring for. 

I'm pretty sure that it was here on Webtender that I learnt the rule "if the 
cocktail is just spirits, stir it. If it has juices, syrups, etc, shake it." 
That's not verbatim, since it sounded better when I first read it. If juices 
are included, for everything to combine well shaking has to be the way to go. 
But since combining spirits together is a lot simpler, if you have the time, 
stir it.

You're doing it both for presentation, as well as style. Sure, you can shake 
it, but we shake everything. Isn't it nice every now and then to dust off the 
barspoon and actually use it for it's intended purpose?

FYI, I googled 'bruising the gin' and came up with this extract.

http://www.martiniart.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=14

==

Shaken or stirred?  	 
  	
This topic is actually based not only on personal preference, but on science. 
There have even been studies as to which (shaking or stirring) provides the 
most beneficial anti-oxidant properties from a martini. While that might be a 
little too much information, we would like to offer a small tidbit to bite on.

Both shaking and stirring do a couple of simple things--they cool the liquids 
involved, and they introduce a certain amount of water to your mix, this is a 
critical part of a good martini. Please make sure to always use only clean, 
clear ice.

Shaking gin is often said to cause "bruising" of the liquor, which intensifies 
the flavor. A loose example of this bruising effect could be illustrated as 
the difference between the flavors of chopped garlic and mashed garlic. Mashed 
garlic has a much more intense flavor. I've read much about bruising gin, and 
personally I don't think it's a major reason to choose shaking versus 
stirring. Incidentally, there is no bruising when it comes to vodka.

Shaking causes the ice to break up and achieve a greater presence as part of 
the final product. Your body heat, as you hold a shaker, will also have an 
effect on the ice melting a bit more rapidly in the shaker. As you shake, you 
are also trapping air within the liquid, thus causing a more "cloudy" 
appearance.

Stirring allows a much more gentle blending of ingredients in your drink, and 
virtually no presence of ice chips in the finished drink. The final product 
will also retain more clarity, but will not be quite as cold as a shaken drink.

The primary benefit of shaking over stirring is simply speed. You'll be able 
to cool more martinis by shaking versus stirring. In our martini laboratory, 
we often experiment with both methods of cooling to determine the best final 
result. We invite you to try both.

==

There are a few sites out there that either support or refute the concept of 
bruising (http://www.answers.com/topic/martini-cocktail), and supporters 
predominantly refer to it on a scientific molecular basis. Who ever knew 
martinis could be so technical?

Personally, if I ordered a martini, I'd be aghast if someone didn't take the 
time to add love to it. You may be able to tell I'm in the stirring camp. :P

Adam

/end essay