As opposed to shaking where we do not want to dilute the drink with ice, some cocktails require blending the ingredients and ice together.

The quickest result is usually achieved by using crushed ice (rather than ice cubes), then blending until a smooth consistency is achieved. This also helps minimise any wear on the blender’s blades.

How to blend a cocktail:

1Pour the liquid ingredients of the cocktail first into a clean blender;

2Add the required amount of crushed ice last;

3Close the lid and activate blender. Depending on the blender, start using the smallest speeds first, then build up to the more powerful settings.

It isn't recommended to attempt blending a cocktail without using a proper blender. It is difficult to achieve the same consistency by attempting to stir the cocktail by hand, as pieces of crushed ice will usually remain in the drink.

Worse still, if you are blending a cocktail using other ingredients (such as fruit or herbs), unless you first dice or crush them into a pulp beforehand, stiring them together by hand will not blend together properly. In fact, any other solution typically involves far more time than necessary to achieve the right result.