Dilution is your friend... you just gotta know how to do it right. Shaking or stirring for too long will water down your cocktail, so you want to pay careful attention and not overdo it. But similarly, if you don’t shake or stir long enough, your drink will be too strong and unbalanced. Many will ask “how long do you shake / stir for?” and unfortunately it’s not that simple. A big factor is your ICE. If you’re using cheap pellet ice (like the kind you get from the convenience store) that stuff breaks down and melts really fast. So if you’re using it, you would want to shake or stir for a very short time. If you’re using larger and stronger cubes with more surface area that don’t break down quickly, you’ll want to shake / stir for longer. Eventually you get a feel for it, but allow taste be your guide. #highproofpreacher #bartenderlife #homebartender