Best muddlers according to redditors
We found 22 Reddit comments discussing the best muddlers. We ranked the 15 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 22 Reddit comments discussing the best muddlers. We ranked the 15 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
> WI Old Fashion
> “Jero” mixture
> Southern Comfort
> pickled “garbage”
Leave now!
A true WI Old Fashioned is a booze fruit cocktail. You muddle (smash the shit out of with a wooden dowel or fancy smashing thing) a cherry and an orange slice with some sugar (I use brown, most use white, sometimes I put a small amount of Grenadine in there too (it's what the cherries are soaking in)) and 3 heaping dashes of bitters in an Old Fashioned glass (it's roughly 1 oz larger than a rocks glass). You then add ice, a shot (2 if you're from WI) of your liquor of choice which is Korbel brandy and anything else is sacrilege, and top it off with sweet (sprite), sour (Graff's 50/50 or squirt), press (short for Presbyterian, which is an equal mix of sweet and sour) or club soda. Garnish with an orange slice, a cherry and what ever other fruit you may have lying around in the bar's fruit tray (lime for sour, pineapple if you got it).
A very small selection may garnish with pickled mushrooms, cocktail onions or olives, but those aren't the kind of people you want to be seen hanging around.
Correctemundo!
If the company's paying for it. Run over to Cocktail Kingdom or Barfly and piece together your kit. Or simply pick up Barfly's super deluxe kit (Barfly website link). I'd add a Big Ass Muddler, Santoku, additional size jigger and whatever else you need. This kit will probably last your lifetime.
If that price is too high...
Pick up this Vino Bravo kit, add what you need and grab a nice work bag from Home Depot/Lowes. It's a B+ kit, as opposed to the A+ of Barfly and Cocktail Kingdom... for 1/4 the price.
I suggest pushing for the first idea if you can.
~Good luck!
ETA: Don't forget a cheap stone or knife sharpener.
http://www.amazon.com/Rabbit-Springing-Muddler-Stainless-Steel/dp/B00M72R90S
Do NOT get a cobbler. They are a pain to get apart and I haven't used one yet where the top part hasn't all but sealed shut completely. You want a metal on metal shaker. Steel has the best thermal properties and isn't ever going to break.
I personally would advise the following:
Shaker:
https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Boston-Shaker-Professional/dp/B06Y2NN5N3/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1501019324&sr=1-5&keywords=boston+shaker
Spoon:
https://www.amazon.com/Hiware-Inches-Stainless-Pattern-Cocktail/dp/B00IRY8CJ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501019552&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=bar+spoon&psc=1
Jigger
https://www.amazon.com/Vking-Japanese-Jigger-Stainless-Cocktail/dp/B0126GQ806/ref=sr_1_8?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1501019600&sr=1-8&keywords=jigger
Strainer:
https://www.amazon.com/Winco-Stainless-Steel-4-Prong-Strainer/dp/B000H7VF64/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1501019642&sr=1-4&keywords=bar+strainer
Muddler (Edit): https://www.amazon.com/HIC-Muddler-FSC-Certified-Beechwood-8-75-Inches/dp/B00KLHNH34/ref=sr_1_14?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1501019848&sr=1-14&keywords=muddler
Barmat (Edit, but HIGHLY recommended): https://www.amazon.com/BonBon-Professional-Bar-Service-Mat/dp/B06X93XN69/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1501019915&sr=1-4&keywords=bar+mat
Muddler
EDIT: looks very similar in purpose to this: https://www.amazon.com/Winco-Wooden-Muddler-Lacquered-Walnut/dp/B000GFP0PO/ref=mp_s_a_1_4/139-6884798-9460907
$60 seems really pricy. Just a quick search on amazon brought me up a 13 piece set for $12^1 and then toss in a muddler (if your doing a fruited old fashioned) for $13.^2 Take the money you save and spend it on booze!
^1 (http://www.amazon.com/13-Piece-Professional-Bar-Set/dp/B004LD54OO/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1394728318&sr=8-16&keywords=boston+shaker)
^2 http://www.amazon.com/OXO-3104900-SteeL-Muddler/dp/B003AIKP0O/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1394728467&sr=1-1&keywords=oxo+muddler
https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Quality-Stainless-Cocktail-Muddler/dp/B01DH1K9HM/ref=sr_1_24?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1488036646&sr=1-24&keywords=cocktail+muddler
I am in no way endorsing the safety of this particular item, but here's something that's worked for me:
https://www.amazon.com/Bon-Cocktail-Muddler-BonBon%C2%AE-Luxury/dp/B017JA3QLI/
>The object is 8.5 inches in length. The two balls on the end are fully attached
Hmmm.... I think its a Muddler for Mojitos or Old Fashions. I've seen similar objects used in lots of bars. Home bars too.
This is a standard one, but I've seen ones like you have found too.
I love herbal medicine. I try not to talk about it here because I don't want to tell other people how to live their lives, but I talk about it a lot with people I know.
This muddler is a really useful tool for making tinctures (alcohol extracts of plants). Sometimes you have to press the herbs down a lot to get the alcohol to cover them, and hands just don't fit in a mason jar like a muddler does.
My personal favorite.
It's one of the only ones you can buy without a finish on it already. I was a drummer for a time so the Vic Firth name had me pretty excited, too. My tried and true way to seal it is using mineral oil. You keep a bottle handy and after every other night of use, rub some oil on with a towel.
I can't say enough about how awesome [seltzer bottles] are. I picked up a couple vintage ones from ebay that I use. There are a ton of ways you can go, but making variations on simple syrups is a great approach. A basic simple syrup is equal parts (volume wise) sugar and water. You put it on the stove until it first starts to bubble and then kill the heat. At this point you can add herbs and let them steep for an hour or so and then strain the syrup and press on the herbs. I've had great success with mint, basil, thyme and lavender. You can also use citrus zest; I find a microplane to be essential for this. Ginger is also great for a simple syrup and I use the microplane for this as well.
Another great technique is muddling. You take some fruit and/or herbs and muddle them together. I prefer a plain wooden muddler with flat ends.
Here are some recipes; you have to experiment with quantities, but here are the ingredients:
Basil cranberry soda: cranberry juice, seltzer water and basil simple syrup.
Peach and basil soda: muddle peaches with basil, add seltzer water and basil simple syrup.
Blueberry and thyme soda: for this I puree the blueberries and run it through a strainer and then add thyme simple syrup and seltzer water.
Strawberry and mint soda: For this I chop and macerate both the strawberries and mint (add some sugar to the chopped strawberries and let them sit; it vastly improves the texture and flavor of the strawberries) and then puree it. I've also done this with cardamom instead of mint with the addition of orange zest gathered with a microplane. You then puree this and seltzer water.
Chai soda: I infuse a simple syrup with cardamom, ginger, black tea, cloves, nutmeg and smashed cinnamon sticks. I use four times the amount of black tea I would use to brew a cup of tea. Add seltzer water and you are good to go; a little whole milk can be a great addtion as well. A basic recipe follows:
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
8 bags of lipton tea opened and the tea is then emptied
6 cardamom pods; crushed with a spoon
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon of cloves
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 cinnamon sticks; crushed into dime size pieces
Watermelon mint soda: Purreed watermelon, mint simple syrup and seltzer water.
Peach ginger soda: Macerate the peaches, puree them, add ginger simple syrup and seltzer water.
Blueberry lavender soda: Pureed and strained blueberries, lavender simple syrup and seltzer water.
There are a ton of ways you can go with this sort of thing. Sometimes some fresh lemon or lime juice can help balance the acidity. Have fun. Enjoy the fruit that is in season. Create your own fun drinks. Cheers.
[This](http://www.Cocktail.com/ Kingdom "Bad Ass Muddler https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XPFRAW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_XvcYDbXQKYDJ8) Muddler may be up your alley
I was making mojitos with whatever implement I could find to do the crushing, but honestly once I got a proper muddler it was so much easier. Especially for certain build techniques, e.g. where you muddle the mint and syrup with lime wedges.
I got this muddler recently and it's kinda hard to see from the photos, but the bottom is toothy, which helps it grip the stuff you're trying to crush. I don't know if another tool can really do the same job as well.
Cocktail Muddler, they come in all kinds of shapes and sizes
http://www.amazon.com/Artaste-Stainless-Cocktail-Muddler-7-75-Inch/dp/B00MC5ZJV6/ref=sr_1_46?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1458144093&sr=1-46&keywords=cocktail+muddler
I posted this in another thread recently; here's a pretty simple process that I use that works really well for me and my friends.
2a) Put your rock/powder in one of these over the hot plate.
2b) Use something like this or the back end of a spoon if your in a pinch (although I've found that a spoon doesn't work as well for bigger rocks) to crush up your rock/powder through the strainer onto your hot plate.
Perfect consistency every time.
I made a great single pole anal electrode from a stainless steel muddler... all i did was attach a tens pad to it to electrify it and it was ready to go..works and feels amazing
https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Cocktail-Muddlers-HQY-Muddler/dp/B0129CB6G8/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=muddle&qid=1566430435&s=gateway&sr=8-3
The basics:
Shaker: http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Cocktail-Shaker-Set-Stainless/dp/B000796F1W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017012&sr=8-1&keywords=cocktail+shaker
Spoon: http://www.amazon.com/RSVP-Endurance-Stainless-Steel-Handle/dp/B000F7JY00/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017049&sr=8-3&keywords=cocktail+spoon
Muddler: http://www.amazon.com/Tablecraft-H4258-Stainless-Muddler-Plastic/dp/B0032FOQY6/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017078&sr=8-8&keywords=cocktail+muddler
My fav strainer: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-1058016-SteeL-Cocktail-Strainer/dp/B0000DAQ93/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017130&sr=8-1&keywords=cocktail+strainer
Jigger: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Steel-Angled-Measuring-Jigger/dp/B00B6LUAPW/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017174&sr=8-6&keywords=oxo+measuring+cup
These few things should get her to a good start. If she prefers a Boston Shaker (http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Cocktail-Shaker-oz/dp/B000NNO2X0/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017243&sr=8-6&keywords=cocktail+shaker), all you'll need is a typical pint glass to go with it.
Oh, you've gotta get these big ice cube trays. Only way to enjoy your cocktail, if you're serious about your drinks.(http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-KING-Cube-Trays-Blue/dp/B00395FHRO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017434&sr=8-1&keywords=big+ice+cube+tray).
Does she has glassware? Collins glasses, old fashioned glasses, highballs? Might be good to look for some of those too. Also, people often give away glassware on Craigslist for free or for next to nothing.
If I can think of anything else, I'll come back to this. Should get you off to a good start though.
This is my preferred route.
Equipment
cocktail kingdom shaken set
hiware barspoon
winco wooden muddler
A cutting board (I prefer black plastic ones, wood breaks apart and usually gets all bacterial, yech)
A cheap santoku knife
cocktail kingdom channel knife
There's the most important equipment that should last you awhile at home.
10 Bottles
A lot of the brand suggestions in here are surprising, the other comments are suggesting typical sponsor brands a lot. I would steer clear of brands you are used to seeing at dive bars.