How to Muddle
Muddling fresh herbs and fruits is one of the best ways to get the full flavor potential out of fresh ingredients. The mojito has become one of the most popular and refreshing muddled drinks today, but many bartenders ruin this drink by over-muddling the mint. There are many other cocktails that can also benefit from using freshly muddled ingredients. We would like to aid bartenders all over the world by helping them become more creative with their mixology.
There are many ways to muddle, and many types of muddlers. Finding the right muddlers for what you want to accomplish is the key for turning okay drinks into amazing ones your guests will come back for again and again.
Muddling cocktails may have started as a specialized process that only master mixologist in exclusive bars would use, but many modern cocktails require muddling. Follow these simple rules for perfect cocktails every time.
1. Always use fresh herbs, this will make a big difference in your cocktails.
2. Herb leaves have small veins which contain chlorophyll. If the leaves are shred or crushed, the chlorophyll gets released which adds a very bitter taste. (Similar to grass) This is why a flat headed muddler is preferred for herbs.
3. Muddlers with teeth on the end are much better for muddling fruits. The teeth tear through the rinds and flesh of fruits, releasing the oils and juices within. The serrated edges tend to cause herbs to shred which will release more chlorophyll into your cocktail.
4. Always use a cocktail shaker tin or sturdy mixing or pint glass that will not break. You don't want to risk chipping glass into a cocktail especially if you are using a Stainless Steel Muddler.
5. When muddling herbs press down lightly and just give a few twists.
6. A serrated head muddler can be used with fruits, and you should see the juice and oils release from the fruit as you press on them.
7. Adding simple syrup with the leaves while muddling is a great way to make sure the flavors will dissolve evenly throughout the drink.
Tip: Simple syrup is super easy to make. It is just equal parts sugar and water(example: 1cup sugar= 1 cup water). It can be combined using hot water and a bit of stirring. Or you can combine room temperature water and sugar in a jar with a lid and shake the heck out of it (will take about 4 good minutes of shaking). A rich simple syrup can also be made with a larger ratio of sugar to the amount of water used. In this case, less can be used per drink and it will last a bit longer in the fridge