What do you muddle, and how hard?
Muddling means pressing ingredients at the bottom of a glass with a muddler to release juice, oils or sugar. The rule: press, twist and stop. Gently muddle mint and basil, pressing and twisting lightly a few times, because the oils are in the leaves and the bitterness is in the stems and veins. Muddling too hard gives a green, grassy taste.
Muddle lime and lemon firmly, until the juice is released and the oils from the peel come out. Crush sugar cubes with a splash of bitters or water until they dissolve. You can crush berries and strawberries thoroughly; hard fruits like apple and pineapple are better cut into small pieces.
Which muddler?
A muddler is a 20 to 27 cm long masher. Wood is the classic: gentle enough for mint and for the glass. Choose unfinished wood, because the varnish will eventually flake off into your drink. Stainless steel with a plastic or toothed head is heavier and better for lime and sugar, and is dishwasher-safe. A toothed head is for citrus, a flat one for herbs.
A wooden spoon or rolling pin will do in a pinch, but they don’t fit well at the bottom of a glass. Find all the models in our muddlers collection.
Which glass?
Muddle in a sturdy glass with a thick base: a tumbler, an old fashioned glass or a large highball glass. A thin glass or a stemmed glass can break under the pressure. Muddle a caipirinha in the glass you’ll drink it from, a sturdy tumbler. A mojito in a highball glass or in the shaker.
You can also gently muddle the mint for a mojito in the shaker and then double strain it, so no bits end up in the drink. Read our article about the cocktail strainer, and take a look at the tumbler glasses.
The right tools
The Bar Professional wooden muddler is 26.5 cm, unlacquered, and designed for mint and soft herbs. The stainless steel muddler has a toothed head for lime and sugar and is dishwasher-safe. Find everything in our muddler collection.
Bar Professional Wooden Muddler 26.5 cm
Bar Professional Stainless Steel Muddler 26.5 cm
Good to know
Why does my mojito taste bitter?
Muddled too hard. The veins and stems of the mint release chlorophyll and bitterness. Press gently about five times, and leave out the stems.
Should you muddle or slap mint?
To slap: clapping the mint between your hands releases the oils without bitterness. For a mojito, gentle muddling is fine; for a mint julep, bartenders slap the mint.
How much lime goes in a caipirinha?
Half a lime cut into wedges, with two teaspoons of sugar, firmly muddled in the glass. Read more on our caipirinha page.
Frequently asked questions
What is muddling?
Crush ingredients at the bottom of the glass or shaker with a muddler to release juice, oil or sugar. Check out our muddlers.
How do you muddle mint without making it bitter?
Press and turn gently, four or five times, without crushing the veins. The oil is in the leaves.
Which muddler is best?
Unlacquered wood for herbs, stainless steel with a toothed head for lime and sugar.
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