Tomorrow night over at The Mixoloseum chat room, the theme of the night is “Muddled” where each drink will require the muddling of some component. The theme is very apropos because I recently bought the best muddler I’ve ever used.
Specifically, I’m talking about PUG! muddlers. I had read a few articles on these hand-made muddlers around the interwebs and they have had some great reviews. Where most bar equipment can readily be purchased on-line at any number of on-line retailers, PUG! muddlers are a little more difficult to come by. You see, there is no website to sell them.
The maker, Chris Gallagher takes orders via email. It is actually a great way to talk to Chris and find out what types of wood he’s using at any given time, photos of various muddlers and the cost. PUG! is actually an acronym for “Pick Up Gallaghers!” and to be honest, I don’t think I’ll pick up another muddler again. These are that good.
Maple (L) & Cherry Wood (R)
You can see from the photo above that the shape is pretty unique. The angled top really allows the palm of your hand to rest comfortably on the muddler. It also gives you more control and a more efficient use of force to muddle. In other words, it doesn’t take a lot of pressure to really do the job. The height of the muddler also allows you to really reach the bottom of your mixing glass or tin. These things are a beast! And can offer personal protection if an unruly customer comes calling!
Almost as tall as a bottle of gin!
When I emailed Chris, I asked for the cherry wood muddler. One thing I didn’t think about, and Chris was kind enough to point out before I made my purchase, was that different woods have different densities. These densities play a discernable role in the job at hand. A lighter wood will require slightly more force to muddle than a more dense wood.
When Chris sent me the shipping confirmation, he dropped the bomb that he was also sending me the maple wood muddler! He asked me to put them both through their paces and let him know what I thought.
Well, this past weekend at Sean’s housewarming party, Sean, Rick and I did just that. Both muddlers worked wonderful. The added bonus of the heavier maple was that it could be used to bash the living hell out of ice cubes for crushed ice and swizzles. We all know how Rick loves his swizzles . . .
I’ll be honest, these muddlers are not cheap. Depending on the wood they run $30-35 and the more exotic Mexican hardwoods run in the $60 range. Is this more than you are likely to pay for any other muddler? Most likely, yes. Is this one of the best bar implements I currently own? Yes. Will I recommend these whole heartedly? YES!
Medley of Motley Muddlers
If you are interested in purchasing a PUG! muddler, email Chris Gallagher at jcgallagher08@hotmail.com.
I’ve been eyeballing these for quite a while, and I’d love to know how the heck you hold one. I can’t envision how that sharply angled top rests comfortably in the hand.
It’s a little tough to describe, but I place the flat portion of the top in my palm with the point towards my wrist.
I got to play with the muddlers this weekend. It’s actually really nice that it’s angled. Rather than grabbing it around and not getting as much leverage on it, the angle allows for a much better over the top hold to let you exert more force from your body weight rather than arm strength. It’s not so pointy that it will hurt in any way either.
(fine)
Uh…does he have a website at all? Or do you just need to e-mail him to find out about the different kinds of wood, costs, etc.?
For muddling, I prefer using a wooden pestle from a Japanese suribachi (mortar and pestle). Here’s a photograph of a smallish one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suribachi
You can usually find these in Asian grocery stores for under $5. If you buy a large sized one (slightly harder to find, you might need to hit a Japanese grocery store or hardware store if you have one nearby, or find one online). They are much easier to use than a commercial muddler.
This one looks like a beaut, but, for your average home bar, a wooden pestle will be easier to store, much cheaper, and still works great!
Sean –
No website. To order you need to email Chris directly.
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[...] The third tool you need is a good muddler. For my favorite muddler, see this post on the PUG! muddler. [...]