Behind The Bar

Preparing a drink for your guests—ideally in front of your guests, to their surprise and delight—is as much finesse as it is technique. Nowhere in mixology is this more evident than in the shake, a ritual performed with varying degrees of solemnity and/or abandon by bartenders around the globe. Your mission is twofold: create a delicious, effervescent drink and impress your partiers by delivering it to their lips with style and grace.

If you're using a cobbler shaker the process is simple. Add your drink ingredients followed by ice, secure the top and cap, shake vigorously to a count of 10, then strain. If you aspire to greater cocktail glory, here are step-by-step instructions for a Boston shaker:

	Assemble the ingredients (again, ice last) in the glass portion of the shaker.
	Place the mouth of the metal tumbler over the glass, hold the glass firmly and strike the upturned bottom of the metal tumbler with the heel of your hand to form a seal. You be able to pick them up as single unit.
	Flip the shaker so the ingredients rest in the metal portion and rap the glass tumbler once more to ensure a leak-proof seal.
	Shake with enjoyment, vigor and rhythm for a solid 10 seconds. You should hear the drink oscillate with a rapid pitter-pat against the inside of the tumblers.
	Place the shaker, metal portion down, back on the bar and grip it securely where the metal and glass tumblers meet. With your free hand, hit the rim of the metal tumbler sharply to break the seal. Strain and serve.