Muddler
Muddler are used in hobby and professional bars to mash and crush various ingredients. It is an absolute “must have” for every professional and hobby bar. With this bar accessory you can, for example, crush or crush fruits, spices or herbs. This process usually takes place directly in the tumbler, cocktail shaker or mixing glass. The bar accessories usually have one smooth and one ribbed end. The handles are approx. 15 to 25 centimetres long.
Muddler Made from different materials
Wood
Very classic pestles are still simply made of wood. They are easy to use, inexpensive and serve their purpose perfectly. The only disadvantage of wooden muddlers*: They break relatively quickly. Some muddlers absorb liquids and citrus acids. This can lead to the muddler becoming soft, rotten and ultimately unusable. In addition, the wooden end easily absorbs the taste of the mashed ingredient.
Synthetic material
Another variant of bar accessories is the plastic pestle*. This is usually made of 100% plastic and serves its purpose just as well as a wooden or stainless steel muddler. But let’s be honest, who wants to prepare a Caipirinha for their guests, friends or family with a plastic muddler? Rather reach for a genuine wooden or stylish stainless steel pestle.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel/metal muddlers were invented precisely to avoid this. These mashers are just as easy to use and serve exactly the same purpose as wooden mashers, but with the advantage of being much more durable. Most of the time, the muddlers have a rubber end, which is supposed to protect the bar accessory once again from deteriorating too quickly.
Bar spoon muddler
Alternatively, you can also use a bar spoon to crush various ingredients. The only requirement for this is that the bar spoon must have a small surface at the end of the handle. With this you can easily crush fruits (such as raspberries or strawberries), limes and lemons you should rather use a pestle.
Not just for the Caipirinha
The bar accessory can actually be used with any cocktail. For the ingredients to be crushed. The best-known drinks where the ingredients are not shaken or stirred are probably the Caipirinha and the Mojito. Try these drinks and see a pestle in action.
History of the pestle
In the past, pestles were used to crush plants, herbs and spices in order to be able to make medicine or the like. Pestles have always been associated with mortars, and to this day the handle in the mortar used to crush the ingredients is called a pestle. For medicine and pharmacy, muddlers were of great importance. They could be used to crush plants, berries and the like in order to extract essential oils.
Muddler FAQ
What is a muddler?
A muddler is a well-known bar accessory that can be used to squeeze limes or lemons in a glass. The bar accessory is used above all in the preparation of a caipirinha.
What are the different types of muddler?
A pestle can be made of wood, metal or plastic. For a real treat, we recommend using a wooden pestle.
Why do you need a pestle?
A muddler is an important bar accessory that is essential when making some cocktails. Through the muddler, well-known cocktails such as the Caipirinha or Mojito can be prepared.