Shake or stir? Mixing tips from Dimitri Lezinska, Grey Goose's cocktail king

Whipping up a batch of cocktails for a dinner party or casual get-together is a great way to score some kudos with your buddies. But it could get a little embarrassing if your concoction doesn't turn out quite the way you remember it from the five-star lounge you all went to last weekend. It's not a simple matter of throwing in some ingredients and stirring it all up, as Grey Goose's ambassador Dimitri Lezinska is happy to point out. 

A little intro to Dimitri Lezinska, or Dimi as he likes to be called. Born and raised in Paris, Dimi first developed an interest in mixology when he trained as a chef in the French Alps. He moved to London where he now resides, and continued honing his craft at some of the UK's top cocktail bars including the Atlantic Bar, Mash and Eclipse, and as the manager of one of the most raved-about bars in the capital, LAB. He went on to achieve international recognition as the co-host of the Discovery Channel's program "Cocktail Kings", which is essentially a guide to some of the best cities in the world and the cocktails to be found within them. Dimitri now has the very enviable role of being Grey Goose's global ambassador, travelling around the world to share the art of cocktail making for the French vodka brand.

To get any cocktail right though, it helps to think of each of them like a person, with their own personality, style and character. "It is essential to understand the personalities of these unique individuals, as well as their personal experiences, to best capture the flavors. The appearance, taste and aroma of each cocktail can evoke different emotions, and tantalize the various senses to re-create that unforgettable experience,” says Dimi.

Here are five important tips to bear in mind when mixing your own cocktails.

• Use fresh ingredients: Just like any meal, it always pays to use fresh ingredients, even though it may be tempting to use pre-mixes or canned/bottled ingredients for convenience. With fruits and juices, the answer is as simple as squeezing lemons, limes and oranges with a hand juicer or getting an electric juicer to make fresh apple, cranberry, pear or any other type of fresh fruit juice. Many of the bottled mixers will include unwanted additives that take away from the freshness of the cocktail. Always use a fine strainer with fresh juices to catch any pips or pulp.
• Measure absolutely everything: Your local bartender may make a show of pouring and mixing cocktails without using a jigger, but even the best mixologists in the world still make a habit of measuring their ingredients, said Dimi. This step cannot be stressed enough if you're looking to create great tasting drinks consistently, but many people skip this step because it's time consuming or because they like showing off. Why is it that bartenders who work in busy establishments rarely touch a jigger? Dimi explains that time is money for most bartenders -- the faster they pour, the more they make, and in the extra time they take to measure properly, they could have made a few more cocktails. It takes a lot of experience to know the timing needed to pour a shot.
• Know when to shake and when to stir: There's a lot of different views on this, but Dimi explains that the general rule of thumb is that cocktails should be shaken when they include fruit juices, thick liqueurs and syrup, or other mixers with a really strong flavor. Shaking allows the cocktail to be mixed evenly throughout. Cocktails that use distilled spirits such as whisky or gin and very light mixers should be stirred, which is more delicate and doesn't dilute the drink as much. The right way to shake a cocktail is to raise it up to the shoulder or eye level, hold it parallel to the floor and shake it vigorously side to side, preferably with some samba music in the background, Dimi quips, only half joking.
• The importance of ice: Use ice cubes where possible, and these should be as dry and cold as possible to chill your drink quickly. 'Wet' ice means it's already melting, and you'll end up diluting your cocktail and it won't chill as quickly. Avoid shaved ice or ice chips as they melt a lot faster and would also dilute a lot more.
• Keep a good basic set of cocktail making gear: Chances are you won't be making cocktails for a living, but a basic set really helps with mixing most drinks. This consists of a cocktail shaker that comes with a cover and wire strainer, a long stemmed mixing spoon (which can be used to measure 5ml of liquids), a jigger (which typically comes in half and one-ounce measures) and a fine mesh strainer. A sharp bar knife and proper glassware is also useful of course, but these are easily improvised.

For more cocktail recipes, visit www.greygoose.com.