What is the purpose of shaking a cocktail with ice?

Shaking a cocktail with ice serves primarily to chill the drink and mix the ingredients thoroughly. When ice is added to the cocktail shaker, it not only cools down the liquid but also helps to integrate the components, ensuring that flavors blend harmoniously. As the shaker is agitated, the ice breaks apart slightly and creates a chilling effect on all liquid ingredients.

While shaking can introduce some air into a drink, the primary focus with most cocktails that require shaking is to achieve a balanced temperature and thorough mixing. Additionally, the dilution that occurs from the melting ice is beneficial to achieving the desired taste and mouthfeel of the drink, but the main purpose is still the chilling and mixing aspect. This makes the choice of chilling and mixing ingredients the most accurate answer regarding the key function served by shaking cocktails with ice.