HOW TO stir A COCKTAIL

As expected, stirring a cocktail is a more gentle motion and process than shaking it all over the place. Stirred drinks traditionally are spirit forward and contain fewer ingredients, often only liquors and liqueurs. A classic martini, for example, is nothing more than gin and vermouth, making it perhaps the epitome of the classically stirred drink - something that sometimes surprises people when they’re familiar with James Bond’s famous request to have his drink “shaken, not stirred.” Can you believe that, this line, has resulted in decades of confusion over what is acknowledged as the standard way to make a martini. To put the debate to rest we would like to say it’s stirred, not shaken. The latter just sounded ultra-cool at the time.

The most important thing to remember is that you don't stir cocktails as if you were mixing a cake batter. That would only create a huge mess and splash liquid all over the place. Instead keep it slow, smooth, and steady; be patient and go with the flow. If you can, a bar spoon is a handy investment for your home bar. Otherwise, just use the longest spoon or kitchen implement you have available. Ideally it is made from stainless steel, to stop ingredients from sticking to it (and it’s easier to clean!).

• Use half a cocktail shaker or another glass (not the one you want to drink from) and fill it with medium-large ice cubes, then add your cocktail ingredients
• Gently move the bar spoon around the rim of the glass for 30-40 seconds. Slow and steady is key, we don’t want to over-agitate it, get bubbles in there or spill any of the liquid.
• Don’t stir your cocktail like you stir your tea spoon in your tea! The action is more like gently pushing the ice around the drink.
• Strain your drink into your chilled glass.
• If the drink needs ice, use fresh ice - this will melt more slowly (and therefore dilute your drink more slowly) than the ice you’ve already used to cool your drink (because it’s been jogged about a bit and will have started to melt already).

4 classic gin cocktails that need stirring

• Martini - HOTLY debated, but we like to stir over ice before serving in an ice-cold glass
• Negroni - do use fresh ice in your glass (after stirring with ice separately) to keep this classic undiluted and delicious
• Gin Old Fashioned - scroll down the list for the recipe for this fabulous alternative to the classic cocktail
• Martinez - 20 seconds of stirring, four ingredients and ice - so little effort for so much reward!