It started with the famous line, “Shaken, not stirred.” Our fascination with shaking liquids blossomed and we became infatuated with violently disturbing our beverages just before drinking them. After all, James Bond does it and he gets all the girls… and cars… and gizmos… and international fame and glory (of the secret sort). But the point is, if he shakes his drinks, then dammit, so will we.

Unfortunately, not all beverages can endure this procedure. Those of the carbonated sort, especially, can run into problems when agitated. So how do we know which drinks to shake, and which to leave alone?

First, look on the label. If it explicitly instructs that the can or bottle be shaken, then do it. It is worth noting that most cans will not need to be shaken, although this rule does not always apply. Bottles are an entirely different story, however, as they contain all types of liquids: carbonated, non-carbonated, dairy, juice, water, seltzer, frappucino, tea, artificial drinks of all sorts, alcoholic beverages, and so on. I cannot stress enough the importance of following the instructions on the label.

If for some reason, there is no label, or for any number of reasons, the label is not readable (it is in another language, it ripped, it rubbed off, you cannot read, etc) then try to determine the nature of the liquid inside. If the liquid appears carbonated (there are little bubbles that float to the top, and the bottle is hard to push in due to the pressure) then by all means, DO NOT SHAKE. Agitation will only cause the beverage to explode when you attempt to open it, or if you have a particularly weakly packaged product, possibly quite a bit sooner.

If the liquid is not carbonated, then try to assert what type of non-carbonated liquid is in the container. If it is milk, then you do not need to shake it — unless, of course, it is chocolate milk. Then, depending on the mixing method used, you may need to give it a twirl.

If you have orange juice or grapefruit juice or lemonade or anything that might have pulp, then shaking might be a worthwhile investment so as to distribute the pulp evenly. No one likes getting to the bottom and having to suck down nature’s hairball. It’s almost as disturbing a discovery as backwash.

Do shake: separated chocolate milk, orange juice, grapefruit juice, lemonade, chocolate drink (Yoohoo), martinis, anything that tells you to shake it on the label.

Don’t shake: Soda, beer, sparkling water, anything with “sparkling” or “fizz” in the name, milk, milkshakes (despite the name), water (shaking water does nothing and is merely a poor use of your time and energy), seltzer, anything that tells you not to shake it on the label.

Just follow these simple guidelines for a more enjoyable beverage drinking experience, and remember, when in doubt, don’t shake. If you watch carefully, James Bond never shakes (or has shaken for him) any of the beverages in the “Don’t shake” category — unless he was using it as a weapon (I don’t know if he has actually done this, but it would look awesome, no?). Be like 007, be stealthy, and be smart when it comes to shaking your drinks.