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Comment by panacea | Hacker News Reader

I'd like to see the results of a blind taste test by persons who swear it would make a difference to the taste.

I have my suspicions of what the outcome would be.

I did this earlier this year with a 1911-style Martini recipe (from the Knickerbocker Hotel in NYC) and could tell the difference. A fellow Martini nut did it with Vespers and he managed to tell the difference.

The problem is that to do these properly is quite expensive and being fairly strong, you're probably not going to manage more than two or three of them if you're lucky.

To give you an idea if it's done properly you can actually see the difference. Stirred Martinis take longer to cool and are more watery. Shaken Martinis get little ice particles forming in the drink, making them look a little cloudy.

I'd like to see the results of a blind taste test by persons who swear it would make a difference to the taste.

Mythbusters actually did that and yes they detected a difference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBusters_%282008_season%29#M...

I'll leave it to you to watch the video (I saw a re-run a few months ago) and decide if it is real or not. I couldn't fault it barring wanting a lot more replication and testing with different people.

I drink manhattans, which are like martinis made with burbon (or more traditionally, rye), and I can certainly taste the difference between shaken vs. stirred. shaken ones have a foam on them and taste muddled, rather than crisp. I don't like specifying stirred when I order my drink because I think it comes off as a bit pretentious, but when I see the bartender pulling the shaker up above their shoulder, I'll usually stop him and quietly ask him to please stir it instead.

Actually a proper Manhattan is nothing like a modern Gin/Vodka Martini or a classical 20th century Martini, but is similar in some respects to a Perfect Martini due to the addition of sweet vermouth or the traditional Martinez, believed to be made with sweet vermouth.

Having said that, I do like the odd Rob Roy. Some places shake deliberately to get the froth as Manhattans tend to have a signature twist in posher places. I think you're right to ask to stir instead for a classic Manhattan (especially if you're using Canadian Club or Crown Royal).

I don't know about this drink, but if you stir an oil based salad dressing you are not going to get the same result as shaking it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emulsion

I'm now picturing James Bond ordering a Salade Niçoise in said manner.

But that would remove part of what you are paying for when you order a fine cocktail. The experience, the luxury of a complexly built tincture. While I agree these rituals may not significantly affect the taste to a blindfolded fellow it surely affects the perception of a tuxedoed gentleman at the bar.

And I'd like for people making similar comments to perform a test for Asperger's.

I have my suspicions of what the outcome would be.

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