What (if any) difference is gained from shaking an alcoholic drink vs stirring it?

Question

You know the classic James Bond line “Martini, shaken, not stirred” is there an actual difference in the taste of the drink from shaking it vs stirring it?

In: 573

Answer 1

From me, a cocktail bartender.

Shake: when you have juice, cream, or eggs
Stir: when you do not

The shaking breaks down the organic compounds in the materials, incorporating them with the alcohol. Think of it like cooking. The force of shaking acts like heat. It also aerates the drink.

Stir all cocktails that do not have any of the above. You don’t want aeration, just chilling and dilution.

James Bond specifies a shaken Martini because the bartender would normally stir it.