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Simple Joyful Food

small ideas that add joy to life

drinks

Ever wondered how to “muddle” your drink?

July 17, 2011 8 Comments

Muddling made a comeback in 2002.  At least it did for me.

I still remember that magical moment.  The seducer was the famed and alluring Cuban mojito.

And boy, was I smitten.

I was travelling with my husband on business in New York City, somewhere in the lower West End, and someone suggested mojitos.  It was new to me.  A pitcher arrived with a heavenly scent of mint and a gorgeous scene of swirling pieces of the green herb as it was neatly poured into our awaiting glasses.

Freshness, newness and rum.  What more could I want (besides a taxi after it was over)?  This was NYC, and every block introduced new savory sensations and possibilities.

For the past eight or so years, muddling has come in and out of my life.  Mainly in cocktails, other times when adding a garnish to a dish.

Because of the commonness of muddling in my life, I must apologize for assuming.  I’ve assumed that everyone knows how to muddle!

But I screwed up.  I mentioned muddling (twice!) in my recent lemonade post.  I assumed everyone knew how to muddle.

Thank you, Heidi, for asking me how to muddle!

First, why should you muddle?

Muddling gently releases the essence of the herb, fruit or ingredient so you can incorporate the full flavor into your drink.  Think of it as a pestle and mortar for soft ingredients.

Is it hard?

Nope! It’s quite simple really.  You get to use a cool tool and it is quick and easy.

How do you muddle?

  1. Place the ingredient (I’ll use mint leaves as an example) in a thick bowl or glass.  A cocktail shaker will do nicely.
  2. Add a splash or water and a bit of sugar to the mint leaves.
  3. Insert your muddler, give it a few twists.  The goal is to release the aroma of the herb or to have the juices start to flow from your fruit.
  4. That’s it.  You’re done.  See, I told you it was e-a-s-y!

 

What is a muddler?  Where can I get one?

Rarely do I go into a store that has kitchen supplies where I don’t come across a muddler nowadays: Target, Williams-Sonoma, Bed Bath & Beyond, liquor stores, ebay, to name a few.  I’m in love with Mountain Top Muddlers.  They even have a “muddler of the month” for the serious lover of muddlers.

Back in 2002, I purchased my first muddler from Crate and Barrel.

Then my dad gave me one that my Grandpa hand-made and it is my absolute favorite (see photo at top of page).  Isn’t it gorgeous?

 

But wait… maybe you really don’t need an actual muddler.  Is there an alternative?

Yes!

I reached out to my twitter pal and fellow NWA’er, blakeclardy, to get his advice.  If you’re not following Blake, you should.  He’s smart, witty, and wayyyyy knowledgeable about all things liquor.  He makes me think differently and expand my knowledge base. He also makes me crave a drink.  Not a good thing early in the morning.

I digress.

Here is his muddler-alternative advice:

Thanks, Blake!

That’s it.

Now you know all about Muddling 101.

What else can I help you with?  

Drop my a comment or email at nwafoodie(at)gmail(dot)com.

Lyndi

Eat well, my friends.  Eat well.

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Recipe Rating




  1. Angie says

    July 18, 2011 at 3:46 am

    Oh no, I'm probably about to be addicted to muddling. I like cool gadgets and liquor. This could be dangerous!

    Reply
  2. nwafoodie says

    July 18, 2011 at 11:23 am

    I've created a monster. Sorry.

    🙂

    Reply
  3. Kevin says

    July 18, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    Thanks, I'm now following Blake!

    Reply
  4. nwafoodie says

    July 18, 2011 at 5:01 pm

    Cool… he's even more knowledgeable when it comes to food. I'm curing a sockeye salmon right now, per his instructions, and smoking it tonight.

    Have a great day,

    Lyndi

    Reply
  5. Blake S Clardy says

    July 26, 2011 at 11:21 pm

    Hey, discovered a great muddler you might already have in your kitchen. The wood plunger that comes with a KitchenAid pasta attachment! Now that's a a nice multi-tasker.

    Reply
  6. nwafoodie says

    July 27, 2011 at 2:36 am

    Blake,

    You should win some type of awesome-cool award. Multi-tasking? Seriously, you've just taken it to the next level!!

    Now… I've just got to get me a KitchenAid!!!!

    Lyndi

    Reply
  7. Codi Lyn says

    July 10, 2012 at 8:34 pm

    Aunt Lyndi! Next time we get together we need to have an interesting drink since Wednesday I'll be twenty-one! 😀 Mom and Dad are taking me out Sat. night and we're going to get suggestions from the bartender, my only request was to stay away from Mexican restaurants and margaritas for my first official drink. 😉 ha ha Love you!

    Reply
    • nwafoodie says

      July 11, 2012 at 11:48 am

      I will teach you everything you need to know!! 🙂 Do you like mint? A mojito might be a good first drink for you. We'll chat!

      Love you Codi!!

      Aunt Lyndi

      Reply

My name is Lyndi Fultz, and I live in the beautiful Ozark Mountains, which span Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri.

I like to share small ideas for living simply and eating happily.

You will find that I talk a lot about food because we all need to eat. Why not add little bits of food joy where possible?

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“Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.” – Julia Child

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