Don't Get Muddled            by Muddling!

With spring finally taking hold across most of North America, drinkers are turning their attention once again to warm-weather cocktails: drinks that quench the thirst and cool the body that require :muddled herbs, citruses, herbs and more! Contemplate your muddler. You can use a variety of items to muddle a drink; there's no actual need to go out and buy a muddler. The handle of a rolling pin will do in a pinch. If you do buy a muddler, be careful what you buy. You want a muddler that has not been varnished or lacquered. The varnish on a muddler will eventually wear off, and where will it wind up?  In your cocktail. Yuck.  So choose a muddler made of unvarnished wood. Other types are made of stainless steel with a plastic or hard-rubber muddling base, and those are fine too. (But avoid the type with teeth on the end; they're great for muddling the juice and oils from fruit, but they can cause you to shred the leaves of mint and other herbs.)

The Right Way to Muddle

Choose a sturdy mixing glass, a pint glass, or a shaker tin. If you choose a thin-walled glass, you risk breaking or chipping the glass with your muddler.

Place the leaves for instance, into the bottom of the glass. Add sugar, pieces of fruit, or whatever else the recipe calls for.

Place the muddler in the glass. Press down with it lightly on the leaves and give a few gentle twists. If there's also fruit in the glass, you should see juice squirting out from the flesh.

When your kitchen smells minty (or basil-y or thyme-y or herby or fruity), you're done.