Build

A built drink is made directly in the glass it will be served in, with ingredients added over ice and stirred briefly rather than mixed in a shaker or separate mixing glass and then strained. A Gin and Tonic, Cuba Libre, or Moscow Mule are all typically built rather than shaken.

This method suits simple drinks with few ingredients, especially ones with a carbonated mixer, since shaking a mixer like tonic or soda would blow off the carbonation and leave the drink flat. Building over ice also lets the drink continue chilling and gently diluting at the table rather than needing precise timing up front like a shaken or stirred drink does.

A tall glass with enough room for ice plus liquid, along with a bar spoon for a light stir, is all a built drink really needs. A common mistake is stirring a built drink too vigorously or for too long, which can knock the fizz out of a carbonated mixer almost as fast as shaking would, defeating the point of building it in the first place.