New Acacia wood muddler on left, made by Viski. My old original muddler, 41 years old, right.
Wooden Muddlers and their Care
My new Acacia wooden muddler on the left (I had to sand off the dark stain until it was bare wood. Then I gave it a light rub with several drops of extra virgin olive oil, dried most of the oil from it, and let it sit 2 hours to absorb some, and polished it dry). The one on the right I’ve been working with since 1980. Laurah (my girl) says my old one feels heavy, and has a very tight, smooth grain. Having been used for 40 years I think the old one is becoming petrified. It’s been absorbing sugars and various bitters (from Orange Bitters to Angostura, Jamaican Bitters, Chocolate Bitters), lime and orange oils from chunks, mint oils, for decades …it’s my little muddler.
Taking proper care of a wooden muddler is important.
It should always gets rinsed quickly and dried thoroughly after each use, and placed in a dry spot so it can air, absorb any oils on it, and harden. Some people say wooden muddlers are bad because of germs spreading. But that’s actually not an issue and historically never has been one. The wood is virtually impermeable after some use, and when cared for properly only becomes harder, more sealed, and more impermiable over time — sort of like a seasoned cast iron skillet (where the heat kills anything that could possibly live on a skillet).
In the case of the muddler, the extremely high proof tincture bitters (often 80% alcohol), and acids in the citrus kill anything that could have been hanging around on the wood waiting for a meal on contact.
Even if anything could possibly live through that (nothing can) it would have to survive 80° (proof) to 110° whisk(e)y, rum, cachaça, etc poured directly over the muddled mix plus mouth enzymes and gastric juices in the stomach. Not happening. Nothing can survive that. Nobody’s gotten sick or died from it; nobody will. Wood is traditional, has been for a million years, and has been used with alcohol for many hundreds of years — from wood aging wine and cask barreling spirits.
It’s perfectly fine.
The particular muddler shown on the left in my photo is sold by Viski. It’s around $12 and is 12 inches long. If you buy one be sure to sand it down to the bare wood before using it.
Site Author, David Jonathan Curtis: David Jonathan Curtis, a seasoned professional in his fifth decade of bartending and bar management, began his career in Midtown Manhattan, NY, tending and managing bars before diving into Manhattan’s bustling nightlife scene. Over the years, he has mastered high-volume, high-pressure bartending as the lead bartender in both iconic Midtown clubs and Wall Street bars, generating over $1,350,000.00 annually in personal drink sales. He has since extended his expertise to establishments in Georgia and now Tampa, Florida. David’s roles as a Bartending Instructor at the American Bartending School in Tampa, while maintaining a second job bartending, and his years experience of managing bars, and working as a Brand Ambassador along with his extensive professional library of over 1,000 bartending books, highlight his dedication to continually refining his craft. He holds a diploma in Bar Management and is BarSmarts certified by Pernod Ricard.
