Whether a bartender’s shaking rhythm reminds you of a dance beat or a train whistle, many believe it’s fundamental to creating a well-crafted cocktail.
 
A recent post on NPR’s food news blog The Salt points out that the shake makes a drink cold and distributes its contents evenly. But some experts say there are some factors that may affect the perfect blend.
 
For starters, not all ice is created equal. And the quality of the ice can affect how long and how hard you should shake a cocktail.

Edward Korry, a Cheers Editorial Advisory Board member and head of Johnson and Wales University’s beverage and dining services program in Providence, RI, says most cocktails reach their prime at 15 to 20 seconds of shaking. But if you happen to be using hollow ice that’s going to break apart quickly, you need to reduce that to a five- to seven-second shake because of the water dilution, Korry says.