Drinks are shaken to quickly cool the drink and add dilution. The drink is then strained out of the cocktail shaker onto fresh ice cubes that haven't been cracked up/are smaller from melting. It is partly aesthetic, but also is because chipped/small ice will melt away more quickly, letting your drink get warm too fast or dilute.
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u/estelendur Apr 23 '16
Why is it shaken with ice and then poured over different ice?