How to choose the right muddler & How to muddle cocktails
What is a muddler?
It is essentially a bartender's pestle and is used to smash and mix cocktail ingredients.
The muddler is the tool by excellence to incorporate fresh fruits and herbs into your drinks.
It is used to make some of the most popular cocktails such as the Mojito, Old Fashioned and Caipirinha.
Types of muddler
Most muddlers are about the same size and basic design. The average bartender will work with either a Wood Muddler or a Plastic/Metal Muddler.
Wood Muddlers are usually favoured by more traditional bartenders that appreciate their classy style, durability and practicality. Their main disadvantage is that as an organic material, wood requires more care. Important: Never leave a wood muddler in standing water or put it through the dishwasher.
Plastic and Steel Muddlers are the most common option now. Bar owners prefer them for their durability and sanitation. They are pretty resistant, dishwasher safe and very hard to stain.
Which muddler should I choose?
There is no right or wrong choice when it comes to muddlers. However, the wood muddler will work great for more delicate tasks like muddling delicate herbs or citrus fruit while the plastic/steel muddler will be very practical for messier tasks like juicing dark fruits.
How to use a muddler the right way
Important to remember
Even many professional bartenders forget that the goal of muddling is not to smashing the ingredients into a pulp but to delicately extract the essence out of this mix. The right muddling will extract the juice out of fruit and release the oils out of herbs.
Always remember to muddle before adding the ice or you will dilute the drink. You also risk no muddling properly the ingredients.
What is a muddler?
It is essentially a bartender's pestle and is used to smash and mix cocktail ingredients.
The muddler is the tool by excellence to incorporate fresh fruits and herbs into your drinks.
It is used to make some of the most popular cocktails such as the Mojito, Old Fashioned and Caipirinha.
Types of muddler
Most muddlers are about the same size and basic design. The average bartender will work with either a Wood Muddler or a Plastic/Metal Muddler.
Wood Muddlers are usually favoured by more traditional bartenders that appreciate their classy style, durability and practicality. Their main disadvantage is that as an organic material, wood requires more care. Important: Never leave a wood muddler in standing water or put it through the dishwasher.
Plastic and Steel Muddlers are the most common option now. Bar owners prefer them for their durability and sanitation. They are pretty resistant, dishwasher safe and very hard to stain.
Which muddler should I choose?
There is no right or wrong choice when it comes to muddlers. However, the wood muddler will work great for more delicate tasks like muddling delicate herbs or citrus fruit while the plastic/steel muddler will be very practical for messier tasks like juicing dark fruits.
How to use a muddler the right way
- Place the ingredients at the bottom of the shaker, mixing glass or serving glass. Be careful to verify which one applies to your cocktail.
- Press down gently but firm and give half a turn to the muddler
- Release and repeat an approximate 5 times or until you get a properly muddled mix
Important to remember
Even many professional bartenders forget that the goal of muddling is not to smashing the ingredients into a pulp but to delicately extract the essence out of this mix. The right muddling will extract the juice out of fruit and release the oils out of herbs.
Always remember to muddle before adding the ice or you will dilute the drink. You also risk no muddling properly the ingredients.
Shaken or Stirred? How to choose the right way to prepare a cocktail
Why is this important?
This is one of the questions that separates pro bartenders from posers
And thanks to James Bond it is also a quasi-universal cliché
Contrary to popular belief the question of either shaking or stirring is centred around the dilution to drinks from the ice rather than on the mixing of the ingredients.
Knowing this will allow you to educate your guest. Many patrons are grossly misinformed and assume every cocktail must be shaken. You can make the difference by explaining your guest how you decide which method is the right one for the cocktail you are preparing
When to shake?
Shake cocktails when they include simple syrup, fruit juices, cream liqueurs, egg whites or any other thick mixer.
Shaken drinks have a characteristic cloudy look that clears up after straining. This method breaks down more ice, diluting the drink further which produces a well-balanced cocktail.
Shaking is particularly important when your drink has ingredients that have to bind together.
The exact length of shaking varies from bartender to bartender and according to the ingredients. For more info check the “How to Shake a cocktail video”
When to stir?
Stir a cocktail made entirely of spirits, bitters or very light mixers.
Stirring dilutes significantly less the drink in a more controlled fashion.
When properly stirred, the components of the drink come together, the temperature of the cocktail chills, but since the drink’s components aren’t diluted with melting ice the drink doesn’t get cloudy. What you get is a spirit-strong cocktail. You can check the proper technique in the “How to Stir a cocktail video”
Shaken Cocktails
Margarita, Cosmopolitan, Mai Tai
Stirred Cocktails
Manhattan, Martini, Negroni
Important to remember
A rule of thumb that will help you determine what applies is: “if there’s something other than alcohol in the drink, you shake it.”
The exception to the stirring rule is is a cocktail made with cream liqueurs. These cocktails should be shaken.
Soda, tonic or sparkling wine cocktails should be stirred and added at the end.
The bigger and denser the ice, the better. Smaller ice can dilute faster, resulting in a watery drink. Proper sized ice allows you to control dilution much better
Why is this important?
This is one of the questions that separates pro bartenders from posers
And thanks to James Bond it is also a quasi-universal cliché
Contrary to popular belief the question of either shaking or stirring is centred around the dilution to drinks from the ice rather than on the mixing of the ingredients.
Knowing this will allow you to educate your guest. Many patrons are grossly misinformed and assume every cocktail must be shaken. You can make the difference by explaining your guest how you decide which method is the right one for the cocktail you are preparing
When to shake?
Shake cocktails when they include simple syrup, fruit juices, cream liqueurs, egg whites or any other thick mixer.
Shaken drinks have a characteristic cloudy look that clears up after straining. This method breaks down more ice, diluting the drink further which produces a well-balanced cocktail.
Shaking is particularly important when your drink has ingredients that have to bind together.
The exact length of shaking varies from bartender to bartender and according to the ingredients. For more info check the “How to Shake a cocktail video”
When to stir?
Stir a cocktail made entirely of spirits, bitters or very light mixers.
Stirring dilutes significantly less the drink in a more controlled fashion.
When properly stirred, the components of the drink come together, the temperature of the cocktail chills, but since the drink’s components aren’t diluted with melting ice the drink doesn’t get cloudy. What you get is a spirit-strong cocktail. You can check the proper technique in the “How to Stir a cocktail video”
Shaken Cocktails
Margarita, Cosmopolitan, Mai Tai
Stirred Cocktails
Manhattan, Martini, Negroni
Important to remember
A rule of thumb that will help you determine what applies is: “if there’s something other than alcohol in the drink, you shake it.”
The exception to the stirring rule is is a cocktail made with cream liqueurs. These cocktails should be shaken.
Soda, tonic or sparkling wine cocktails should be stirred and added at the end.
The bigger and denser the ice, the better. Smaller ice can dilute faster, resulting in a watery drink. Proper sized ice allows you to control dilution much better
How to get a Job Interview at the Hottest Bars
Why is this important?
Bartending is quite fun, however it is not an easy job. Long hours and physically demanding tasks make it a challenging profession.
Becoming a great Bartender will require dedication and hard work. So, why not THINK BIG and go for the hottest bartending jobs?
Believe it or not getting and keeping a job at a dusty small town pub or the hottest nightclub in Vegas will pretty much require the same amount of effort, however, the rewards will be absolutely different from one to the other.
We have taught you every skill you need to become a top bartender. Today we will show you how to get that AWESOME bartender job you came here for.
The Step by Step Process
First Step: You need a crystal-clear goal. You need to determine how your dream bartending job looks like as detailed as possible. Where you wanna work: a nightclub in LA, a lounge in Ibiza, a cruise ship in Europe? How much money you wanna make?
Second Step: Now ask yourself, what is my dream job looking for in a bartender? An expert mixologist? A flair bartender? Check out the Website and Social Media of the venues where you would like to work and see how their staff looks. Are the bartenders wearing suspenders and ties or dressed in basic shirts and covered in tattoos. Compare many options until you have a clear image on your mind on how the bartenders working at your dream job look like
Third Step: Look at yourself and make an honest assessment. What assets you already possess? What skills and looks you need to get in order to fit with the image of the venue you want to work at. How can you stand out in a positive way above all other candidates?
Fourth Step: Polish your resume or Business Card, make sure to adjust it to the venue you are applying to. Even better, prepare a portfolio, just like models do. Why? Because a graphic record of your skills and achievements will be so much more attractive to a hiring manager than a non-sexy piece of paper. Make sure to focus on the images that portray you as a sociable, hard working person. Keep it professional
Fifth Step: Identify where you can find the decision makers. Why do you want to talk with someone who can't hire you even if they want to? Your resources are unlimited: Facebook and LinkedIn as well as the website of every venue you are interested in. Start identifying managers and owners and learning as much as you can about the place you want to work at. Being prepared will make the difference
Sixth Step: Most top venues are in huge demand because it is where the big money is. Unless you have an extraordinary
When to stir?
Stir a cocktail made entirely of spirits, bitters or very light mixers.
Stirring dilutes significantly less the drink in a more controlled fashion.
When properly stirred, the components of the drink come together, the temperature of the cocktail chills, but since the drink’s components aren’t diluted with melting ice the drink doesn’t get cloudy. What you get is a spirit-strong cocktail. You can check the proper technique in the “How to Stir a cocktail video”
Shaken Cocktails
Margarita, Cosmopolitan, Mai Tai
Stirred Cocktails
Manhattan, Martini, Negroni
Important to remember
A rule of thumb that will help you determine what applies is: “if there’s something other than alcohol in the drink, you shake it.”
The exception to the stirring rule is is a cocktail made with cream liqueurs. These cocktails should be shaken.
Soda, tonic or sparkling wine cocktails should be stirred and added at the end.
The bigger and denser the ice, the better. Smaller ice can dilute faster, resulting in a watery drink. Proper sized ice allows you to control dilution much better
Why is this important?
Bartending is quite fun, however it is not an easy job. Long hours and physically demanding tasks make it a challenging profession.
Becoming a great Bartender will require dedication and hard work. So, why not THINK BIG and go for the hottest bartending jobs?
Believe it or not getting and keeping a job at a dusty small town pub or the hottest nightclub in Vegas will pretty much require the same amount of effort, however, the rewards will be absolutely different from one to the other.
We have taught you every skill you need to become a top bartender. Today we will show you how to get that AWESOME bartender job you came here for.
The Step by Step Process
First Step: You need a crystal-clear goal. You need to determine how your dream bartending job looks like as detailed as possible. Where you wanna work: a nightclub in LA, a lounge in Ibiza, a cruise ship in Europe? How much money you wanna make?
Second Step: Now ask yourself, what is my dream job looking for in a bartender? An expert mixologist? A flair bartender? Check out the Website and Social Media of the venues where you would like to work and see how their staff looks. Are the bartenders wearing suspenders and ties or dressed in basic shirts and covered in tattoos. Compare many options until you have a clear image on your mind on how the bartenders working at your dream job look like
Third Step: Look at yourself and make an honest assessment. What assets you already possess? What skills and looks you need to get in order to fit with the image of the venue you want to work at. How can you stand out in a positive way above all other candidates?
Fourth Step: Polish your resume or Business Card, make sure to adjust it to the venue you are applying to. Even better, prepare a portfolio, just like models do. Why? Because a graphic record of your skills and achievements will be so much more attractive to a hiring manager than a non-sexy piece of paper. Make sure to focus on the images that portray you as a sociable, hard working person. Keep it professional
Fifth Step: Identify where you can find the decision makers. Why do you want to talk with someone who can't hire you even if they want to? Your resources are unlimited: Facebook and LinkedIn as well as the website of every venue you are interested in. Start identifying managers and owners and learning as much as you can about the place you want to work at. Being prepared will make the difference
Sixth Step: Most top venues are in huge demand because it is where the big money is. Unless you have an extraordinary
When to stir?
Stir a cocktail made entirely of spirits, bitters or very light mixers.
Stirring dilutes significantly less the drink in a more controlled fashion.
When properly stirred, the components of the drink come together, the temperature of the cocktail chills, but since the drink’s components aren’t diluted with melting ice the drink doesn’t get cloudy. What you get is a spirit-strong cocktail. You can check the proper technique in the “How to Stir a cocktail video”
Shaken Cocktails
Margarita, Cosmopolitan, Mai Tai
Stirred Cocktails
Manhattan, Martini, Negroni
Important to remember
A rule of thumb that will help you determine what applies is: “if there’s something other than alcohol in the drink, you shake it.”
The exception to the stirring rule is is a cocktail made with cream liqueurs. These cocktails should be shaken.
Soda, tonic or sparkling wine cocktails should be stirred and added at the end.
The bigger and denser the ice, the better. Smaller ice can dilute faster, resulting in a watery drink. Proper sized ice allows you to control dilution much better
LIST OF VIDEOS TO BE FILMED
How to Shake a Cocktail
How to Stir a Cocktail
Shaken or Stirred? How to choose the right way to stir a cocktail
How to choose the right muddler & How to muddle the perfect cocktail
How to Shake a Cocktail
How to Stir a Cocktail
Shaken or Stirred? How to choose the right way to stir a cocktail
How to choose the right muddler & How to muddle the perfect cocktail
