Muddling is the technique of mashing ingredients for use in a drink to add texture, scent, color and taste. Sometimes ingredients are muddled and strained, but often the ingredients are left in to make a drink more attractive.

Hold the muddler in your hand and press down, twisting your wrist three or four times but never up and down smashing. Apply as much pressure as you need for whatever you are muddling. Fresh fruits and juicy vegetables like berries, melons, cucumbers and tomatoes, fresh herbs are often used to freshen the flavor of drinks and cocktails. Fresh mint leaves and fruit muddled together for iced tea, mint julep, or an Old Fashioned.

Mojito-Style Iced Green Tea
Prepared by: Karl McCall
Master Mixologist & Beverage Manager at The Hotel Hershey

Ingredients:

• 32 ounces (4 cups) of boiling water
• 4 tea bags, (such as Revolution Organic Green Tea)
• Honey
• Lime wedges
• Fresh mint

Put ice in each glass and pour in the iced green tea and stir

(pulling the crushed lime, mint and honey to the top).
Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Stir before serving.

Cuban Mojito recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 mint leaves
• 1 lime (for juicing)
• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
• 2 ounces light rum
• 2 ounces club soda
• 1 sprig of mint (for garnishing)
• crushed ice

Preparation:

1. Put the mint leaves into a tall glass and squeeze the lime juice over them.
2. Add the powdered sugar and then muddle the mint, lime juice and sugar together. Add crushed ice.
3. Stir in the rum and top off with the club soda.
4. 4. Garnish with a mint sprig.