Dry shake

Technique

A dry shake is shaking a cocktail without ice first, so egg white or aquafaba whips into a thick, silky foam.

Also called: reverse dry shake · dry shaking

Dry shake: 15 to 20 seconds, no ice
Wet shake after: 10 to 15 seconds with ice
Egg white per drink: about 1 oz (30 ml), one egg white
Aquafaba swap: about 1 oz (30 ml) per egg white

What dry shake means

Egg white and aquafaba need air to turn into foam, and ice gets in the way. Shaking without ice first lets the proteins stretch and trap bubbles. Then you add ice and shake again to chill and dilute the drink. You will see the step in recipes for a Sour, a Fizz or a Flip, usually written as "dry shake, then shake with ice".

There is also a reverse dry shake. You shake with ice first, strain the drink into the small tin, tip out the ice, then shake once more without it. Difford's Guide finds it gives more foam, and plenty of bartenders now prefer it. It needs a two-piece shaker, since you pour from one tin to the other.

It is easy to assume you need the spring from a Hawthorne strainer inside the tin to get foam. You don't. Shaking hard does the work, and the spring is optional. The idea is older than it looks: Ted Saucier's 1951 book Bottoms Up already told readers to shake before adding ice for a nice top.

How to dry shake a cocktail

You need a shaker that seals tight, about 1 oz (30 ml) of egg white or aquafaba, and a fine strainer.

1.Add the spirit, citrus, syrup and 1 oz (30 ml) of egg white or aquafaba to the shaker, with no ice.
2.Seal it well and shake hard for 15 to 20 seconds. Pressure builds without ice, so keep a hand on the top.
3.Open it, fill with ice, and shake again for 10 to 15 seconds until the tin feels very cold.
4.Double strain into a chilled glass so the foam comes out smooth and any bits of egg stay behind.
5.Use fresh or pasteurized eggs, and skip raw egg for children, pregnant guests, older adults and anyone with a weak immune system.

Dry shake compared

ShakeA regular shake uses ice from the start. A dry shake skips the ice at first, so the foam forms before the drink gets cold.
Reverse dry shakeIce first, then a second shake without ice. Difford's Guide says this order gives more foam than the classic dry shake.
Cocktail foamFoam is the result you see on top of the glass. The dry shake is the most common way to get it.

Related terms

Ingredients

Put it to use in your next drink

Garçon explains every step as you make the drink.