James Bond, that debonair and worldly English secret agent that always seems to know far to much about far too many things always orders his Martini's "…shaken, not stirred".

I'm sorry Mr. Bond. But you're not providing a good example for budding cocktail enthusiasts. A Martini, and in fact any clear cocktail, is properly prepared by stirring and not shaking.

Of course, personal preference should always be followed in matters of food and beverage. If you like drinking Chardonnay with your Filet Mignon, so be it. If you prefer your Caesar salad without Anchovies, who am I to tell you that this is incorrect. And if you really prefer your Martini's to be shaken instead of stirred, fine. But I'd at least like the opportunity to share with you some information and insights regarding this debate so that you can make up your mind for yourself, instead of simply falling under the "peer pressure" being applied by the formidable Mr. Bond.

When debating the differences between a Shaken and Stirred Martini, it is common to hear people bring up the notion that "Shaking will bruise the Gin". Hogwash. This term is simply a quaint turn of phrase that has more poetry to it then fact. There is little, if any, taste difference between a Martini that has been shaken, to one that has been stirred. So what then is the issue? Why does it matter?

To understand this, you need to understand the differences of shaking and stirring. Both of these methods have their benefits, as well as their detriments.

Chilling

Cocktails should be cold, the colder the better. And for this, shaking is the preferred choice. It is easier to chill a drink down by shaking it, then by stirring it. This is relatively easy to demonstrate.

Take two similar glasses, and put a single ice cube into the bottom of each. Now fill both with lukewarm water. Now, using a spoon or a fork, dip into one of the glasses and carefully move the ice cube slowly around in the glass, simply trying to make sure that the ice cube is able to spend some time in virtually all parts of the liquid. Do this for about 30 seconds. Now remove the ice cubes and stick in your finger, or better yet an instant read thermometer into each of the glasses of water. Which is colder?

The water in the glass that you moved the ice around it will be colder. This is because of the thermal conductivity properties of water, while pretty good, you are able to improve upon this speed by simply moving the ice cube around itself. Thus the more parts of the liquid that are "touched" by the ice cube, the quicker you will transfer cold from ice to liquid.

Shaking provides this same benefit over stirring, because when you stir a drink, the vortex produced by stirring, even if you stir haphazardly and vigorously, doesn't provide as much "contact" throughout the liquid as shaking does. Shaking also will often result in breaking off small shards of ice, which because of the greater surface area exposed, will transfer their chill that much quicker.

So, shaking is better then stirring, right? Well, no. Stirring has an important benefit over shaking.

Clarity

As any fine chef knows, presentation is a very important component in any dish they prepare. The same is true for cocktails. There are some cocktails that consist only of basically clear ingredients, most well known, as well as perhaps the most clear, is the Martini. Such cocktails should be served with their clarity intact, looking almost like a fine gem resting within the bowl of your glass.

Unfortunately, shaking these drinks will trap air bubbles into them and cause them to cloud up. You can easily demonstrate this by putting milk into a cocktail shaker, shaking it for a while (even without ice), and then pour this into a glass. You'll notice that there is a foamy froth on the top of the milk. This is a result of the aeration action that shaking causes. Now pour another glass of milk, and simply stir it for a bit with a spoon. Few, if any bubbles will form on the top, and you easily could have avoided almost any bubbles forming by simply being a little more gentle and deliberate with your stirring.

Dilution

While many may not realize this, water is an important part of almost any cocktail. During both shaking, and stirring, some of the ice will melt and add water to the drink. While it doesn't affect the taste much, to say that it doesn't affect the taste at all would be inconceivable. Just the right amount of water will soften the bite of the cocktail, and provide a gentle rounding out of the mouth feel. Too much water however, will turn the cocktail insipid.

Shaking, as already mentioned, will result in breaking off shards of ice, which will melt faster, thus add more water to the drink. Too much water? Only your taste buds will know for sure. Stirring on the other hand, won't chill the drink as fast, which means you need to stir a little longer in order to achieve the same cooling level, which will also result in more time for the ice to melt. Personally, I wouldn't be too surprised but that extending the stirring time just a little to chill the drink to the same temperature as shaking, will result in about the same amount of water dilution as shaking would.

From an efficiency standpoint, shaking allows the bartender to serve more drinks quicker. So if that was all there was to consider, shaking is the preferred method for mixing all cocktails. Unfortunately, shaking affects the presentation of the clear cocktails, and so a well-trained bartender will know that for any cocktails that consist only of clear ingredients (spirits, wines, bitters, cordials), they should take the little extra effort to stir these drinks so as to produce the best looking presentation.

I expect some of you will continue to hold on to your belief that a shaken Martini tastes better then a stirred one. Such a choice is totally your prerogative, but perhaps, just perhaps, you owe it to yourself to try a little taste test to see if you actually can taste a discernable difference.

Technically a "Perfect" of any cocktail that uses Vermouth is one that uses equal parts of dry Vermouth and sweet Vermouth. But of course when somebody tells you that they make The Perfect Martini you know that they aren't talking about a "perfect" Martini, but instead are talking about "a Martini that is perfect". Ok, so we've now gotten that out of the way lets examine a little closer what it might mean to make this mythical Martini that is so "perfect".

Vermouth

Let's first start with the Vermouth. It is definitely not the primary ingredient, but in order to turn a glass of cold gin into a Martini, it is a very important ingredient. An important thing to understand about Vermouth and its relationship with the Martini, is that for quite a while the only Vermouth that was used for cocktails was Italian Vermouth. So much so that when a recipe called for "Vermouth", it was generally assumed that Italian (or also known as Sweet, or Red) Vermouth was being used. It was much later that a new Vermouth came onto the scene from France. This was obviously referred to as French Vermouth, or also Dry or White. So take something like the Manhattan, which is of course made with Italian Vermouth, and if you want to have it made with French Vermouth you ask for a "Dry Manhattan", and if you want it made with equal parts of Italian and French Vermouth, you ask for a "Perfect Manhattan". Knowing this, you shouldn't find it too surprising to know that when the recipe for a Martini included "Vermouth" as an ingredient, it was expected that Italian Vermouth be used. And when the customer wanted to use French Vermouth instead, they would ask for a Dry Martini. Unfortunately, over time this concept of a Dry Martini started taking on the notion of using less, and less Vermouth, until today we have people selling little Martini misters that deliver mere molecules of Vermouth into your glass. And you have bartenders that don't even use any Vermouth at all. In fact, many bartenders have this mental barrier about the use of Vermouth and are very reluctant to use very much of it in any drink. One of the recipes that I've personally developed is the Black Feather, and it contains a full ounce of dry Vermouth. Often when I'll ask a bartender to mix one of these up for me they will be shocked at the amount of Vermouth called for and will try to talk me out of using that much. I'm not quite sure what they are afraid of, but they obviously have formed some sort of aversion to its use. Not only does Vermouth play an important role in balancing out the flavors of many cocktails, it also is a fine drink in its own right when served over ice with a twist of lemon.

Balance

Now we can address the second aspect of how to make a perfect Martini. This is something that is important not just for the Martini, but for any cocktail. Balance. Hopefully by now I've been able to impress upon you how necessary it is to create cocktails that are a finely tuned blend of flavors. So a Martini that is made with only Gin, or only Vodka, really cannot be called a Martini. Gin is a spicy spirit that is a balance of flavors in its own right. One of the notes within both Gin and Vodka is the sharpness that comes from alcohol; this isn't so much a flavor at it is a texture. On top of this, a well made gin will include a blend of spicy botanical flavors that play a complimentary role to the alcohol. While the precise flavors used in any gin is a closely guarded secret, all gins will include juniper as one of their primary flavors. Together, the alcohol and the botanicals form a spicy and sharp flavor experience. Vermouth is also a blend of various botanical and herbal flavors, but instead of being sharp and spicy like gin, it is mellow and subdued. Together these two ingredients complement each other very well, meeting at some balance point that isn't too sharp, or too mellow.

The Secret Revealed

Here then is the secret to making a perfect Martini. As always, you need to use quality ingredients, then you need to use just enough dry Vermouth to carefully round out the sharpness of the gin, but not so much that the drink flattens out from having too much Vermouth. There is also a third important ingredient to a Martini, and that is water. The water is added to a Martini from the ice that is used to mix it with, often this is from 3/4 to 1 full ounce of water, depending on how much ice is used, what size the ice is, and how long it is stirred (or shaken). The role of the water in any cocktail is to calm down the flavors all around and to reduce the "burn" of the alcohol. This is extremely important for creating a cocktail that is smooth and relaxing. I've heard of people that are so intent on making a really cold martini that they store the gin and cocktail shaker in the freezer, and the Vermouth in the refrigerator. The problem however is that if you start out with your ingredients that cold, once you put the ice in, there won't be much warmth around to melt off any water, and so your Martini will be overpowered with the burning essence of the alcohol.

The Vodka Connection

Any discussion about the Martini really needs to include some commentary about Vodka. I realize that there are a lot of people out there who prefer Vodka Martinis. You might be one of them. If you really look at how many people make Martini's this really shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Remember, the true art of the cocktail revolves around balance. Add to that the fact that many people mistakenly got the impression that not only was a "dry" Martini akin to the holy grail, but also that "dry" was referring to using less dry Vermouth then a "normal" Martini. So you have people that are now adding less and less dry Vermouth in order to make their Martini dryer then the next guys. Eventually you end up with what? Simply a glass of cold gin. For people that have truly acquired a finely tuned taste for gin, this isn't a problem, but to the novice drinker all they taste is this obnoxious botanical flavor that they think tastes like something out of the medicine cabinet. So it is no surprise that they would find a "glass of cold vodka" (which has no taste), to be preferable to straight gin. And so I expect that the "Vodka Martini" has become so popular is because few have really had a chance to try a really well balanced Gin Martini.

The Challenge

What then is the recipe for a perfect Martini? I could simply tell you the proper ratio of gin and Vermouth to use, but all you would then be doing is following my lead. What I'd personally prefer is that you come to your own understanding of what you actually prefer, and not what somebody tells you is the right recipe.

If you really want to understand the Martini, and to understand the concept of a balanced cocktail, then what you should do is to spend a little time and do your own experimentations in order to arrive at what you think is your own preferred ratio. The first step is to go out and buy a bottle of good gin. Plymouth, Boodles, Tanqueray, Sapphire, or some other gin if you think you have a preference. But if your preferred gin costs less then $15, then pick one from my list. Next you need to pick up a bottle of dry Vermouth, Noily Prat is my favorite, but there are of course others. Now, you need to make three Martinis. Be sure to use plenty of ice, because you need to make sure that you get enough water incorporated into the drink. You can use a cocktail shaker if you want, but the proper way to make a crystal clear Martini is to stir it instead. You're going to mix up all three drinks at once, so you can compare one against the other.

Drink #1: Make this one with straight Gin. Don't add any dry Vermouth.

Drink #2: Use an 8 to 1 ratio for this one. That means 8 parts Gin to 1 part dry Vermouth. Or to put this in measurement terms, use 2 ounces of Gin and 1/4 ounce of dry Vermouth.

Drink #3: Use a 4 to 1 ratio this time. Or 2 ounces of Gin and 1/2 ounce of dry Vermouth.

As you make each drink, you might want to store the filled glass in the freezer to keep the drinks as cold as possible until you are ready for all of them at once. And notice that I don't say anything about garnish here. Any garnish, olive or lemon twist, will change the flavor slightly, and we are mostly concerned right now with understanding the balance issues with the main ingredients, and don't want to be sidetracked by the brine or other flavors that might be added by the garnish.

Now comes the fun part, carefully taste each drink. Take a sip from one, then the next, and then the next. Don't try to be judgmental at the first, just try to see if you can notice a difference of any sort between them. Keep going back through the flight of cocktails; gradually try to pay attention to the balance in the flavors. You should of course notice that the first one is just total gin, with no dry Vermouth flavor at all. In the third drink you should be able to detect enough dry Vermouth to get an idea of what it's flavor does for the cocktail overall. Does the middle drink taste like it has too much Vermouth, or too much Gin?

The important question of course, is which one did you like best? Which one tasted like it was the most balanced. Not too much Gin, not too much Vermouth. If you look at the ratios involved, you'll see that there is quite a bit of space between them, plus the third drink definitely isn't as far as you can take it. Just as the first drink was pure Gin, you could take it to the obvious conclusion and have a drink that was pure Vermouth. However the goal here is for you to determine what your favorite Gin to Vermouth ratio is. If you liked Drink #3 the best, maybe you'd like even more vermouth? In that case you should try another round (perhaps tomorrow night) in which you use even more Vermouth, keep adding more and more, until you feel you've gone too far. Or if you liked #2 the best, perhaps a little experimentation with ratios on either side of this is what you need to focus your attention on.

Makes 2 cocktails in 5 oz. martini glasses

Juice of one sour orange (or more if the orange is not very juicy)
Few generous dashes simple sugar syrup
4 jiggers (6 oz.) aged rum
1 jigger (1 1/2 oz.) Grand Marnier or good quality curaçao
Orange slice or twist, for garnish

If you do not have sugar syrup on hand, just make some ahead of time; boil equal amounts of sugar and water together until sugar dissolves and a light syrup forms. Cool, then refrigerate. Chill cocktail glasses. In cocktail shaker, add ice, then the main ingredients listed. Shake thoroughly to mix and chill. Pour into glasses and garnish with an orange slice or twist.

scant jigger gin
1/2 jigger lemon juice
a splash Cointreau
a splash Campari

1 jiggers fine aged rum
1/2 lime, juice of and shell for garnish
1 good dash simple syrup

Pour liquid ingredients into an old fashioned or doubles glass. Stir, then fill with ice, and add spent lime shell

Ingredients
Ice cubes
2 parts vodka
1 part Cointreau or Triple Sec
1 part lime juice
2 ½ parts cranberry juice
Glass: Cocktail glass
Method: Shake
Alcohol%: 17% *

Preparation
Fill the shaker half with ice and add the vodka, Triple Sec, lime juice and cranberry juice.

Shake together and strain in a chilled cocktail glass.

Decorate with lemon spiral.

Variations

Use raspberry vodka to mix the Razmopolitan cocktail.


History

Invented in 1985 by Cheryl Cook, a mixer in Florida, Cosopolitan is a rather new cocktail.

It spread fast throuhout the USA and gained popularity in the 1990s - especially after being mentioned frequently in the television series Sex and New York.

Ingredients
Ice cubes
1 part white rum
1 part brandy (or Cognac)
1 part Cointreau or Triple Sec
½ part lemon juice
Glass: Cocktail glass
Method: Shake
Alcohol%: 28% *

Preparation
Put ice cubes in the shaker. Pour in the rum, brandy, Cointreau and lemon juice.

Shake together and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with lemon oil or lemon piece.


History
The recipe is a real classic: it was born in the 1930s. After the 1960s it became almost forgotten but nowdays it's again a popular cocktail.


Similar cocktails
City Slicker, White Lady, Betsy Ross, Maidens Prayer, Night and Day, Rum Fizz, El Dorado, Flying Dutchman, Costa del Sol, Long Island Iced Tea



"Bronx"

Ingredients
Ice cubes
2 parts gin
1 part dry vermouth
1 part sweet vermut
1 part orange juice
Glass: Cocktail glass
Method: Shake
Alcohol%: 20% *

Preparation
Pour ice in the shaker. Add the gin,the two vermouths and the orange juice.

Shake together and strain in a chilled cocktail glass.

Serve without any decoration.

Variations

The sweetness of the cocktail can be changed by altering the amount of the sweet and dry vermouth.

If you like dry cocktails better, try the Bronx Dry, which is made not using any sweet vermouth.


History

Many claim the honor of inventing the Bronx cocktail,but it is most likely that Johnnie Solon, mixer of the Waldorf Hotel, conocted the recipe first in the 1930s.

According to his story he was making a Duplex one day when his boss came up to him and said that a customer is demanding something absolutely new.

Solon finished the Duplex (which consits of sweet and dry vermouth and orange liqueur) and instantly a thought came to him. He substituted the orange liqueur with gin and filled the cocktail up with orange juice and handed it over to his boss before tasting it. His boss was fascinated by the result and so was the customer. The cocktail soon became the most popular drink in the hotel.

Solon says that the name came from the Bronx Zoo because lot of the customers used to tell him about strange animals they see after several mixed drinks. So when they asked him what the name of the cocktail was, he replied: "It is a Bronx".

Ingredients
Ice cubes
2 parts brandy (or Cognac)
1 part red wine
1 dash Angostura
½ dash Cointreau or Triple Sec
Glass: Old fashioned
Method: Stir
Alcohol%: 28% *

Preparation
Put ice cubes in the stirring glass. Pour in the brandy, red wine (preferable Portugieser), Cointreau (or triple sec) and Angostura.

Stir together well and strani in an old fashioned glass on the rocks.

History

The recipe was named after Betsy Griscom Ross who made the first national flag of the USA in 1776.


Similar cocktails
Night and Day, Burnt Orange, Champagne Cocktail, Charles Cocktail, City Slicker, Suburban, Between the sheets, Brandy sangaree, Maidens Prayer, Flying Dutchman


Shake all ingredients with ice.
Strain into glass.
Enjoy.

Ingredients
Ice cubes
3 parts tequila
2 parts lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
Glass: Collins
Method: Shake
Alcohol%: 20% *

Preparation
Fill the shaker up half with ice cubes. Add the tequila, lemon juice and honey.

Shake together well. Strain into the collins glass half lilled with ice.

Garnish with orange wedge.

Ingredients
Crushed ice
2 parts white rum
½ lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar syrup
Glass: Cocktail glass
Method: Shake
Alcohol%: 22% *

Preparation
Fill the shaker half with crushed ice and pour th rum, sugar syrup and lime juice in it.

Shake together and strain into a cocktail glass.

Decorate with a lime slice or a cocktail cherry.

Ingredients
Smashed ice
2 parts gin
1 part Cointreau or Triple Sec
1 part Blue Curacao
1 part lime juice
Glass: Cocktail glass
Method: Shake
Alcohol%: 24% *

Preparation
Fill the saker with crushed ice. Pour the gin, Cointreau and Blue Curacao in it.

Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Decorate with a lemon spiral or cocktail cherry.

Ingredients
¾ part mint liquier (e.g. Créme de Menthe)
¾ part Irish cream
½ part cream
Glass: Shooter glass
Method: Layer
Alcohol%: 14% *

Preparation
Pour the mint liqueur in the shooter glass. Layer the Irish cream and cream on it.

Ingrédients du Cocktail pour 1 personne:

- 0.5 cl de cointreau
- 1 verre de porto rouge

Préparation de la recette du Cocktail "Aphrodisiaque"

Préparez la recette du Cocktail Aphrodisiaque au shaker. Chauffer dans une casserole le porto et le curaçao. Retirer du feu avant ébullition. Verser dans un verre à thé.

Servir dans un verre de type "chope" Décor: Garnir d'une tranche de Citron et saupoudrer de noix de muscade râpée. Comme son nom l'indique, c'est un excellent aphrodisiaque. Se déguste chaud !

Ingrédients composant le cocktail "Aphrodisiaque": liqueur d'oranges (triple sec,cointreau,grand marnier). porto rouge. Pour plusieurs "Aphrodisiaques", il suffit de multiplier les doses.

Evaluation moyenne de 3 hommes :11.3/20
Particulièrement apprécié des hommes de 19 ans

Evaluation moyenne de 2 femmes :15/20
Particulièrement apprécié des femmes de 20 ans

1 glass of mineral water
½ glass of rum or cognac
1 tablespoon of fruit syrup
2 bits of ice

Put bits of ice into high beakers, fill them with cool mineral water, then, fruit syrup miхed with rum or cognac. Ardent drinks should be served at one stroke.

Bon appetit!

2 bottles of beer
A pinch of cinnamon
3-4 cloves
Lemon peel
3 yolks
3-4 tablespoons of sugar (to your taste)

Boil beer with cloves, lemon peel & cinnamon. Turn into powder 3 yolks with sugar, add hot beer, stir slowly. Do not boil.

Bon appetit!

This cocktail used to enjoy wide popularity in 70-es – 80-es of 19th century.

3/4 oz sweet vermouth
2 1/2 oz bourbon whiskey
1 dash Angostura® bitters
1 maraschino cherry
1 twist orange peel

Combine the vermouth, bourbon whiskey, and bitters with 2 - 3 ice cubes in a mixing glass. Stir gently, don't bruise the spirits and cloud the drink. Place the cherry in a chilled cocktail glass and strain the whiskey mixture over the cherry. Rub the cut edge of the orange peel over the rim of the glass and twist it over the drink to release the oils but don't drop it in.

VARIATION: No bitters. Substitute a twist of lime for the cherry and orange. Hold the lime twist in a lighted match over the drink and then drop it in. The heat really zips up the lime flavor.

By The Glass
1. Lime Juice (1 whole lime equals about 3 teaspoons) or use limejuice from

concentrate.

2. Sugar (2 heaping teaspoons)

3. Mint Leaves (freshest are the best!) You need about

4. Four to Five mint leaves per drink. (3 for mashing and 2 for garnish at the end)

5. Bicardi Limon (clear) Rum (2 oz)

6. Angostura Bitters (dash)

7. Ice

8. Club Soda (2/3 cup)

9. Straws (the green ones with the accordion top are cool)

10. A few mint leaves and one lime slice (for garnish)

Putting it all together:

1. Combine limejuice and sugar in small cup/bowl and mix up quickly. If you have a wooden spoon that works great. Then add three mint leaves and continue mixing. The key here is to press/mash the mint leaves firmly (about 30-45 seconds) in order to get the mint oil to mix in with the sugar and limejuice. (Personally, I think this is the heart of the drink and separates a good mohito

from a FANTASTIC MOHITO!) )))))

2. Pour the contents you created in Step 1 into a glass (10 oz tumbler seems to work well) and add a dash of Angostura bitters (this is strong stuff, only a light dash or two).

3. Add 2 oz of Rum to the glass. Stir well

4. Add ices (cubes or chipped work well, I don't prefer crushed because it melts too fast) to the glass about 1/2 to 2/3 the way up the glass.

5. Add 2/3 cup of Club Soda/Seltzer Water (fresh and bubbly, works the best. Try not to use club soda/seltzer water that has gone flat (remember our motto: The difference between a good mohito and a FANTASTIC MOHITO is in the details)

6. Add more ice to top off the drink if you need.

7. Add 1-2 leave of fresh mint as garnish on top.

8. Add slice of lime 1/8" to 1/4" thick works well.

By now you should be looking at the best mohito you have ever seen and every time you make one you will get a little better and faster. You can experiment with the amounts of min, sugar and limejuice to suit your taste but normally the amounts for rum, bitters and club soda should stay pretty constant.

Enjoy your Mohito - It will be Fantastic. To enhance the effect put on some

Cuban Jazz or Salsa music and you will float off to the islands.

Finer points of Mohito making:

1. When mashing the mint leaves with the limejuice and sugar the goal is to "press" the mint leaves enough to extract the mint oil so it will mix with the limejuice and sugar. If you "grind" the mint leaves too you will break them up a bit. This does not harm the taste in any way but you end up with little pieces of mint leaves float around at the bottom of the glass (which you might suck up through your straw). Actually, mint is good for digestion and it will not harm you to swallow a leaf or two. The main point here is "looks".

2. Bicardi Limon Rum has been consistently the best booze choice for this drink for me. If you are knocking them dead with your mohitos (using Bicardi Limon) you want to stick with that brand. I switched rums last time and people really noticed it.

3. The colder the mohito the better. Lots of ice!

«Flaming»

2 glasses of strong tea, , ½ glass of rum or brandy, lemon peel, 1 tablespoon of sugar, ½ of lemon. Pour out cool strong tea into glasses, add lemon peel, lemon juice & pour in a tablespoon of rum or brandy. Burn it & serve up in ceramic ware.

Bon appetit!

Scientists assert that alcohol a little at a time can raise sexual attraction. For eхample, wine is often a concomitant of seх. A couple glasses of wine in intimate situation do not hinder even married couple with large experience. ))))) It is recommended to drink honeyed water with saffron.
Here are some recipes of light tipples.