This is an easy one. Stirred. Always stirred. There are plenty of articles and blog posts on the Internet about why you should stir clear cocktails and shake cloudy ones. I don't need to go into detail here. So when I ask a bartender to make me their best Manhattan, I watch to see if they pull out a shaker or a beaker. When that silver shaker hits the bar and he fills it up with ice, my heart sinks just a little. I just know it is going to be cloudy, watery, and filled with little chunks of ice. Not my favorite. Still, some people like their Manhattan's shaken, not stirred, but not I.