How To Muddle for Cocktails

Are you an aspiring home bartender that wants to flex their skills when it comes to the cocktail game? If so, you are in luck! Now we aren't saying we are the best (we will totally settle for you saying that, though!), but we know our way around a bar and can give you some tips. It is not at all unusual for cocktail enthusiasts to want to try their hand at muddling herbs and additional ingredients in efforts to create a perfect drink, but most end up failing quite spectacularly. Rest assured that you do not have to fall to that same fate. Worry not, dear cocktail maker, as we will turn you into an expert muddler in no time.

It is important to note that there are a ton of different muddlers that you can choose from. Some of the most popular materials used to create them include bamboo, metal, wood, and even stone. Each one is best for specific things. For example, if you are interested in muddling fruits you will want a muddler with a tip that is raised and a wider base as it will produce the best results for you. However, if you want your drinks to taste as good as possible and free of any artificial flavorings, we highly recommend that you stick with the traditional wooden muddler.

Let's take a closer look at the correct technique needed to muddle a cocktail. To begin with, you will want to very gently depress the muddler while twisting the head at the same time. There is no need to be aggressive, this isn't the guy who has beat you in fantasy football three years in a row. The slightest bit of pressure is all that it takes to fully release the flavors that you are after.

You may think that there is no such thing as muddling too much, but that is simply false. Many of home bartenders who are just getting into it are more likely to be a bit overzealous and ruin their drinks. When it comes to herbs in particular, muddling too much will cause them to break into fragments that really aren't all that flavorful and will make your cocktail way too bitter. It's safe to say that you don't want to be like them.

You may be wondering how you will know when it is time to stop muddling and that is a fantastic question! Most will cease muddling once they have begun to start smelling the flavors opening up. It is very easy to tell with mint as the flavor is packed within the veins and is very easily muddled. You don't have to do a ton of work to get the desired results. Wouldn't life be so much easier if more things worked like that? Two to three twists is typically all it will take to have the flavors infused .