# Bruised liquor. What? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruised-liquor-what/147215 "2003-01-08T00:10:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hayduke\_Lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Hayduke\_Lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hayduke_Lives)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruised-liquor-what/147215/1 "2003-01-08T00:10:18Z")
On this show about exotic drinks this woman bartender says she likes to shake martinis even though it “bruises the gin”.😕 How do ya bruise a liquid? ---
**Author:** ![mister\_me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@mister\_me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_me)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruised-liquor-what/147215/2 "2003-01-08T01:19:06Z")
Hmmmm. That’s a new one to me. I actually bartended for 5 years (through college) then trained bartenders for another 3 years for a large sports bar franchise. I’ve heard the expression ‘bleeding’ when referring to martini’s - some people claim (and I agree, somewhat) that shaking a gin martini causes it to ‘bleed’ or lose some of its aroma. I would guess that would hold true for any aromatic liquer. My guess would mean she was referring to ‘clouding’ a martini. When you shake gin over ice it tends to cloud - up as it dilutes with the mixing ice. I suppose this could appear as a ‘bruised’ liquer- more so when you are mixing a ‘dirty’ martini. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruised-liquor-what/147215/3 "2003-01-08T01:32:12Z")
When shaking a Martini, it allows air to mix with the gin thusly “bruising” the spirit ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruised-liquor-what/147215/4 "2003-01-08T02:20:23Z")
Doesn’t anyone watch 007 flicks anymore? “Stirred, not shaken” is exactly about “bruised” booze (yes, this geezer has heard the term “bruise” used - but it has been awhile). ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruised-liquor-what/147215/5 "2003-01-08T04:11:08Z")
[Obligatory Mailbag link](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmartini.html): > [@](#): > > There are three main differences between a martini (or a vodka martini) which has been stirred and one which has been shaken. First, a shaken martini is usually colder than one stirred, since the ice has had a chance to swish around the drink more. Second, shaking a martini dissolves air into the mix; this is the “bruising” of the gin you may have heard seasoned martini drinkers complain about–it makes a martini taste too “sharp.” Third, a shaken martini will more completely dissolve the vermouth, giving a less oily mouth feel to the drink. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Stan\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruised-liquor-what/147215/6 "2003-01-08T04:12:43Z")
Yes, but doesn’t commander Bond prefer his **vodka** martini **"Shaken** , not stirred" ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruised-liquor-what/147215/7 "2003-01-08T04:41:34Z")
Bruising liquor is very similar to tenderizing meat by beating it with a mallet. You do it to make the drink more palatable. That is why you never hear about people bruising soft liquors like wine or beer only hard liquors like gin or vodka which need tenderizing. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruised-liquor-what/147215/8 "2003-01-08T05:12:21Z")
When you shake it, it melts the ice more. Bond doesn’t like ordering a “Weak Martini” though, so he orders his shaken, not stirred. Five out of five people I checked who claim that air bruises their martinis cannot blind taste test the difference if you shake it in the bottle before you mix the martini. ## Tris “Of course it tastes bad, it’s gin.” ---
**Author:** ![Agback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/977dab/32.png) [@Agback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agback)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruised-liquor-what/147215/9 "2003-01-08T05:26:53Z")
G’day When you shake a martini the drink gets a lot colder and a bit more watery than if you stir it, and clouded with tiny air bubbles. Some people who prefer their martinis warmer and not so watery call the clouded appearance ‘bruised’, and claim that bruised gin loses its flavour. You will generally find that these people also like very little vermouth in their martinis. I like my martinis with actual vermouth in them, and very cold, and diluted a little with melted ice. And I don’t think the ‘bruising’ affects the flavour at all. So, like James Bond, I order mine “shaken, not stirred”. Regards, Agback