Why You Should Never Order Shaken Cocktails On An Airplane
Sitting back, cocktail in hand, gazing out at the world 30,000 feet below — could flying get any better? Probably not, but if you order a shaken cocktail, then that experience may bring you down. It's rarely realistic for busy air stewards to prepare shaken cocktails. The combination of limited equipment and ingredients with tight quarters (and tighter schedules) render it an order worth avoiding. Flight attendants famously despise serving Diet Coke because of how awkwardly it bubbles in the pressurized cabins. How do you think they'll feel whacking out a cocktail shaker in the galley?
We'll add a caveat; certain planes have designated bar areas. Don't miss out on ordering properly shaken cocktails when there's a purpose-created (and staffed) lounge. These cocktail-shaking-green-zones are usually reserved for business or first class — something worth checking next time you fly indulgently. Korea Air's A380s, Qatar Airways' A380s, Virgin Atlantic's Airbus 330s and Boeing 787s, and Emirates' A380s regularly feature in-flight bars. If it's looking quiet, request daiquiris, cosmopolitans, and margaritas to your heart's content.
If you're more of an economy flyer, why not learn how to make in-flight cocktails? Prioritize stir-friendly drinks, like an old fashioned, which are easier to pull off from the confines of your plane seat. It's a win-win.
Why are some cocktails shaken not stirred?
Wondering which drinks are actually safe to order? Once you understand the criteria behind shaking and stirring, knowing which cocktails to confidently request on planes is easy. Here's the thing: Cocktails are primarily shaken to balance taste and temperature. Anything featuring fresh ingredients like dairy or fruit juice is best poured into a shaker (we're looking at you, lime). The violence of the movement mixes and aerates the ingredients, shattering any ice. Interestingly, the latter is the reason why shaken cocktails are colder than their stirred counterparts.
On the flip side, anything better stirred contains components like copious spirits, tonics, or bitters. Picture a whisky-heavy old fashioned or gin-based negroni. These cocktails have a balanced consistency achieved through a gentle mixing technique. There's less dilution and minimal aeration — just a smooth-tasting tipple. Whether prepared by you or an air steward, stirred cocktails are more practical in a plane environment. Besides, you can mix them straight in your drinking glass.Stir sticks at the ready, everyone.
Of course, at 40,000 feet in the air, nobody assigns too much blame for a little rule-bending. Just how strict are the shaken vs stirred guidelines? Well, it's possible to learn how to drink a margarita on a plane using in-flight ingredients without shaking it. However, non-shaken margaritas are still considered a cardinal sin by any passionate bartender. By all means, cut corners, but the result might not be worth the wait.