05 Sep Cocktail skills: Stirring
Stirring a cocktail is the oldest technique that bartenders use to make a cocktail. Stirring is the English word for stirring. So if you see somewhere that a cocktail needs to be stirred, this means that it needs to be stirred. There are different ways to prepare a cocktail stirred and different techniques. There are also a number of rules of thumb with which you can achieve the best results.
When do you stir?
First things first: when do you actually stir a cocktail? Okay, maybe you’re going to do it because we say you should in the recipe. But of course it’s also fun to know why you stir a cocktail instead of preparing it with a shaker. It’s actually easy: if a cocktail only contains alcoholic ingredients, you stir it. An important difference with shaking is the dilution and the structure. With shaking you get much more dilution than with stirring. The structure of the cocktail also becomes noticeably different, because there are more melt water and oxygen bubbles in the liquid. Maybe you’ve had a freshly shaken cocktail in front of you, then you can nicely see the bubbles rising. You don’t have that with a stirred cocktail.
Shaken, not stirred
Of course, it is impossible to dedicate an article to stirring and not mention this quote. James Bond uses this famous sentence to order his favorite Martini, the Vesper. But actually, this cocktail should be stirred. Shaking will give much more dilution and a much less velvety-soft mouthfeel. Then it comes down to taste: if you really want to taste the pure flavors of the ingredients, then always stir. If you just want the cocktail to be a bit less strong, then you can shake it.
How do you stir?
With a spoon. Of course, there are special bar spoons with which you can stir your cocktail well. Your other important tool for this way of preparing cocktails is the Mixing Glass. This is a special sturdy glass with a somewhat larger capacity, in which you can stir all the ingredients in balance. It is about achieving a balance between dilution and cooling. Too much dilution gives a watery cocktail. Too much cooling gives a cocktail that is too strong. If you stir well, the cocktail in the mixing glass reaches a temperature of approximately -5 degrees Celsius. This type of cocktail is also often served straight up in a martini glass, or on the rocks such as an Old Fashioned. Because the cocktail is below zero, ice cubes will not melt immediately. You do have to make sure that all the elements you use are pre-cooled: your mixing glass and the glass in which you serve the cocktail.
How do I choose the right tools?
If you don’t have anything special at home, but still decide to stir a cocktail now, you can use a small pre-chilled water jug (half a liter or so) and a dessert spoon. But of course, if you like it, you want to have a slightly more professional toolkit. With which you can make an impression. There are many straight bar spoons, but if you can find one that is a bit bent at the end, then that is easier to stir well with. Also don’t choose a stupidly long spoon, you really don’t need that at all, so no longer than 30 centimeters. Also choose a spoon with a very fine twist, or without. A coarse twist in the spoon is extremely annoying when stirring. Your mixing glass also depends on how many people you normally make cocktails for at a time. Usually, no more than 2 cocktails fit in 1 mixing glass. If you do more, you will be stirring for so long, in such a large bowl of ice with drink that it is no longer very relaxing. The thickness of the glass is also important. If you use the mixing glass more often in one evening, thick glass is nice, it retains the low temperature for a long time. If you usually make 1 stirred cocktail in one evening, you can also choose a thinner glass, which gets cold faster. Finally, use a julep strainer and not the hawthorne strainer (that’s the one with the spring in it, you use it for shaking). And then you will see that they also come in all kinds of different colors and coatings. Take into account wear and tear with frequent use. A tool with a black coating will wear out considerably over time, which is simply less attractive in a catering establishment. Everything made of stainless steel actually remains good, even with daily frequent use. And it also comes down to personal preference. Do you want everything gold-, copper- or silver-plated? Anything goes. Only that can’t go in the dishwasher.
In what order do I do what?
Good question! A good preparation ensures a cold cocktail that is perfectly balanced. Step 1 First, make sure that your mixing glass is pre-cooled. For example, you can put it in the freezer 5 minutes before you start making cocktails. If you haven’t thought of that and want to make that cocktail right away, put ice cubes in the mixing glass with water and stir it briefly. The glass will cool down very quickly, but you will lose the ice cubes. Step 2 Pour the drinks into the mixing glass. If you put ice in first, there is a risk that you will see part of your precious drinks disappear next to the glass via an ice cube. A shame. So first the drink. Step 3 First, place the bar spoon in the glass, then fill it with ice cubes. Fill it so that the ice cubes fill the entire liquid (so not just float but really to the bottom) and protrude a bit above it. The lumps do not have to be all the way to the top of the mixing glass, that will only cause extra fast and unwanted dilution. Step 4 Now stir the cocktail and do that with as little noise as possible. The more noise of sloshing and colliding ice cubes, the more your ice cubes will chip and the faster your cocktail will become watered down. You do not want that. You only move your spoon along the outer edge of the glass and not across it and you do not mash from top to bottom. Try to steer with your fingers and not with your entire arm. Step 5 Taste. It is important that you taste in between. Use the bar spoon to put a drop on your hand and slurp it up. That way you feel the temperature (the part just next to your thumb is very sensitive) and you taste the balance. Is the cocktail not cold enough yet? Add some lumps. Is the cocktail too strong, but already at the right temperature? Then stir it again. Stirring too long will result in a watered down cocktail. And that’s not tasty.
Beeldcredits: Kiki Kouthoofd
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