Which End of Muddler Do You Use?

For herbs, you want to use a blunt muddler (as opposed to one with teeth), but as you can see in the pictures, using the blunt end of a toothed muddler works just fine. Place the herbs in the bottom of your cocktail shaker or serving glass. Use a gentle, firm pressing motion to bruise the herbs.

Which way do you use a muddler?

Not every bartender grips a cocktail muddler exactly the same way. But generally, you want to grip it from the top, with your whole hand, with the end of the muddler against your palm. This grip makes it easier to crush the leaves or berries evenly without tearing.

Do you muddle the cherry in an old fashioned?

The fruit in an Old Fashioned is an integral part of the drink. If you're just dropping in a cherry and an orange and the end, may God have mercy on your soul. The fruit should be muddled along with the sugar and bitters.