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How to Muddle a Drink The Correct Way!
Are you tired of bland cocktails that lack flavor? One of the easiest skills to acquire even as a home bartender is learning on how to muddle a drink correctly.
And although the first time or two you give muddling a try may be a bit messy, you’ll quickly get the hang of it, especially once you realize the drastic difference between a properly muddled drink and one that was just mushed up for a moment.
The technique has been used by mixologists for quite some time and truth be told, muddling ingredients is utilized just as frequently and is equally as valuable as blending or straining.
What is Muddling?
Muddling is the process of lightly bruising or properly smashing or smooshing solid ingredients like fruit or herbs, to release their flavorful, aromatic oils. The technique is commonly used in cocktails like the Mojito, Mint Julep, Old-fashioned, and Caipirinha.
How to Muddle
- Choose a sturdy glass or cocktail shaker that won’t break when struck.
- Add your ingredients to the glass or shaker. If the cocktail calls for fruit, cucumber, or other non-herb ingredients, muddle them separately for best results.
- Use a muddler, a thick stick used to smash the ingredients, to gently crush the ingredients. Be careful not to over-muddle delicate herbs like mint and basil, as this can impart a bitter taste in the drink. Instead, use a light hand and tap them a few times with the muddler. Use a heavier hand with firmer ingredients like rosemary and lime.
- If you’ll be mixing your drink with ice, muddle the ingredients more lightly, since they’ll release more oils as you shake.
- Finish the drink. The leaves are ready when lightly bruised, but still intact. You should be able to smell the herb, since the goal of muddling is to release flavorful, aromatic oils. You can leave the herbs in the final cocktail for presentation or strain them out, as desired.
Tips for Muddling
- Avoid tools made from aluminum or other reactive metals, especially when muddling with citrus. These can leach a metallic taste into your drink.
- The recipe should clarify whether or not to leave the crushed ingredients in the drink.
- Muddling with ice in the glass just makes the process needlessly difficult. Add the ice afterward.
Cocktails That Require Muddling
Muddling is a common technique used in the bar, and there are many cocktails that require a muddler to make. Some popular examples include:
- Mojito
- Mint Julep
- Old-fashioned
- Caipirinha
- Watermelon Jalapeño Margarita
- Pineapple Ginger Rum Cocktail
Why Muddle?
For the process of muddling, ingredients are paired by way of crushing them together using something called a muddler. This is normally performed right in the glass that will be used to build the drink, and is also carried out right before most of the cocktail’s liquid ingredients are poured. It may sound as if this technique is more or less basic, but you will find there are actually a multitude of ways to muddle.
The Flavor and Experience
Don’t worry about whether you have muddled for years or you’ve just discovered this useful skill you need to add it to your drink making toolbox. Why is it important?
Muddling can certainly make the difference between a common cocktail or a drink that is extraordinary. It heightens the taste from particular ingredients, such as citrus fruits, that you wouldn’t get if you didn’t add the element of muddling.
Drinks like an old fashioned, the mojito or caipirinha require the bartender to muddle ingredients as an integral part of the recipe.
The flavor and experience of the drink wouldn’t be the same if the bartender just dropped the mint into the mojito. In fact, there would be virtually no flavor to it at all as with most ingredients, they hardly part any flavor until they are some how crushed or cut up.
So the next time you see the term “muddle,” grab your muddler and and get to it! Everyone’s taste buds will be happy you did!