I’m a fan of mojitos and figured I’d branch out and try some other muddled drinks. Armed with a wooden spoon (and later a real muddler), I’ve made some tasty drinks from this book. I have not been disappointed yet. Recipes range from the traditional mojito to the more unique pineapple ginger mojito. With a few different types of alcohol and simple syrup on hand, I’m always ready to make a fun mixed drink with whatever fresh fruit is in season. Great resource!

This was the first book by Kim Haasarud that I bought. I loved it so much I bought the rest of her 101 books. She knows how to create amazing cocktails. Out of all of the cocktails of hers I have made so far 99% of them have been a hit. I reach for her books when I want a new drink before any other. I have had fun muddling, stirring, and shaking (not to mention drinking) my way through them.

When I picked up this book, my first reaction was, “How can there be 101 recipes for Mojitos? That’s insane.” But then I noticed the subtitle: “and other muddled drinks.” Okay, that makes sense. Muddled drinks are very popular these days, and there’s an endless variety of them.

Muddling is a technique of combining ingredients in a glass by pressing down on them with a muddler, a type of pestle that’s usually shaped like a baseball bat.

Author Kim Hassarud is the founder of Liquid Architecture, a beverage consulting firm, and has created signature cocktails for several top venues and brands. So she knows what she’s talking about. Her recipes are mostly straightforward, without a lot of odd ingredients or preparations. She does use wine in several of her cocktails, though — a trend I haven’t gotten behind.

She also uses a lot of fresh fruit in her drinks, which is exactly what you’d expect for muddled drinks. She also includes nuts, herbs, cucumbers, etc. for some potentially interesting flavor combinations. (I didn’t try any of the more exotic ones, as I didn’t have the ingredients on hand. But I’m filing them away for future reference.)

Muddled drinks have become something of a bane to most bartenders — they take a long time to make and tend to be messy. And don’t even think about ordering a muddled drink at a place like TGI Fridays. You’ll probably get nothing more than a blank stare in return. (And if they do try to make you a Mojito or Caipirinha, who knows what you’ll get.)

The good news is, making muddled drinks at home isn’t difficult. In fact, it’s kind of fun. With a book like 101 Mojitos, a muddler*, and a little bit of liquor, you’ll soon be off and muddling!

*Technically you don’t even need a muddler: the end of a wooden spoon or the handle of a rolling pin will work in a pinch.

You can find more reviews like this at ProfessorCocktail.com.