Cocktail Culture in Your Coffee Cup: The Art of Shaken Coffee

Do you like your coffee shaken or stirred?

You may have noticed a new menu item at your local coffee shop that's called something like "venti iced shaken brown sugar oat milk espresso…." That's quite a mouthful. But what in the world is a shaken coffee and why would you want it?

Well, it's shaken with ice in a shaker exactly like you would a cocktail, and for the exact same reasons:

The Science Behind the Shake

Aeration - Shaking introduces thousands of mini air bubbles into your drink and can drastically change the mouthfeel (and even taste!) of your drink.

Dilution - Shaking with ice helps properly dilute the drink and make it less harsh.

Chilling - Shaking a drink can help it reach extremely cold temperatures that are simply not possible when stirring

The Mixology Connection

This technique isn't new—bartenders have been using these principles for centuries to create perfectly balanced cocktails. What's fascinating is seeing these time-tested methods cross over into coffee culture, creating a new category of beverages that benefit from the same careful attention to texture and temperature.

The result? A silkier, more refreshing coffee experience with a beautiful frothy top layer and perfectly balanced flavors.

The Perfect Shake

A well-made shaken coffee drink is all about the foam on top, similar to the Italian "shakerato" - a shot of espresso shaken vigorously with sugar and poured into a glass. The violent shaking creates that signature creamy texture that makes these drinks so special.