Shaking:
The cocktail is mixed by hand in a cocktail shaker. The shaker is first filled three quarters with ice, preferably cubes, as crushed ice will tend to melt and dilute the cocktail. The ingredients are then poured on top of the ice. When shaking a cocktail, hold the shaker in both hands, one hand on the top and the other supporting the base of the shaker, and shake vigorously. When water has begun condensing on the outside of the shaker, the cocktail is sufficiently chilled, and the cocktail should immediately be strained into the glass. In general, shaking creates a colder cocktail than stirring does, but also a more cloudy one.
Stirring:
The cocktail is stirred with a glass or metal rod in a mixing glass, before the cocktail is strained into a glass. As with shaking, crushed ice should not be used, and water condensing on the outside shows that the cocktail is finished.
Blending:
An electric blender is used to mix fruit juices, alcohol, fruit, etc. Blending is an excellent way of mixing ingredients which do not blend easily in any other way. Blend the cocktail till it has reached a smooth consistency. If the recipe requires ice, add crushed ice last, but be careful not to add too much, as the cocktail may be watered down. Blending is a much disputed method of mixing a cocktail, and in general, blending should be avoided unless the recipe demands it.
Building:
When building a cocktail, the ingredients are poured into the glass in which the cocktail will be served. Usually, the ingredients are floated on top of each other, but occasionally, a swizzle stick is put in the glass, allowing the ingredients to be mixed.
Muddling:
Cocktail recipes sometimes call for certain ingredients to be “Muddled”. Muddling is the crushing of fruit or herbs in order to release their flavours. You can use a muddler, a pestle or even the end of a rolling pin by pushing down with a twisting action.
Salting a Glass:
Some recipes also require that the rim of a glass be salted. To achieve this, moisten the edge of a glass with a wedge of lime and dip the upturned glass into a saucer of salt. For sugar, chocolate, coconut etc moisten the edge with a damp sponge first and then dip into the saucer.
Ice:
Ice is an essential ingredient to great cocktail making. Cocktails should be served icy cold. Ideally, a properly prepared cocktail should be as close to freezing as possible. You can do this by either shaking the drink with ice, or stirring it. Both do the job equally well.
