Many martini recipes using fresh fruit or herbs call for you to muddle the ingredients in the bottom of the shaker before adding the ice. For soft fruit/herbs, like strawberries, this is fine. But when the item to muddle is made of tougher stuff a simple traditional muddler just may not extract all the flavor you need for the drink.
The Shaker solution? Whip out your handy immersion blender! Just a pulse or two will really bring out any flavors you want. It is a tremendous time saver as well. Now this would not work for more delicate items- such as basil. But for certain citrus and even ginger or other tougher shaker guests it’s the way to go. Be sure to adjust quantities a bit when you use the immersion blender……it will extract much more flavor so you don’t want to overdo it. And use a Boston shaker with a separate strainer to keep the bigger chunks out of your drink without clogging up the top of a built in strainer.
Your immersion blender is also the best tool for making whipped cream for those dessert martinis. And you can even pre-whip your egg whites a bit before adding them to a flip for more body in your drink.
An immersion blender is an excellent addition to your bar. And fun to use, too.
