101 Mojitos and Other Muddled Drinks [Hardcover]

Kim Haasarud (Author), Alexandra Grablewski (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 1, 2011

101 cool cocktails for warm-weather fun

In the last few years, the mojito has become a staple cocktail at summertime parties and bars across the country. This simple mix of rum, fresh muddled mint leaves, and lime juice served over ice with a splash of soda is the perfect drink for cooling down on a hot, sunny day.

101 Mojitos and Other Muddled Drinks provides expert guidance on mixing the perfect mojito, as well as 100 variations and other muddled drink recipes that focus on fresh ingredients and plenty of ripe fruit. In addition to mojitos, you'll find caipirinhas, caipiroskas, crushes, and margaritas as well. In fact, if you've got fresh fruit of any kind on hand, you'll probably find more than enough delicious and refreshing ways to use it.

• Includes 101 recipes illustrated with brilliant four-color photographs throughout
• Features recipes that emphasize fresh fruit and herbs and inventive tweaks on classic summer drinks
• With such drinks and variations as Blood Orange Mojito, Pomegranate Mandarin Mojito, Concorde Grape Sage Caipirinha, Watermelon Basil Lemonade, Blackberry Grappa Smash, and the classic Old Fashioned

Whether you're hanging out in the backyard, lounging by the pool, or eating at an outdoor restaurant, the mojito and its muddled cousins make the perfect summer drinks.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Relaxing, refreshing, and delicious, the mojito has emerged as a staple cocktail at summertime parties and bars across the country. This straightforward mix of rum, muddled mint leaves, and fresh-squeezed lime juice served over crushed ice with a splash of soda is the perfect drink for chilling out on a hot, sunny day.

But even though the mojito offers refreshment in nearly flawless form, there are plenty of other muddled masterpieces you can try. In 101 Mojitos & Other Muddled Drinks, Liquid Chef Kim Haasarud presents variations on the mojito and plenty of other flavorful options for every taste, including caipirinhas, smashes, margaritas, and mimosas—all full of ripe fruits and fresh herbs bruised and crushed to messy perfection. If you've got fresh ingredients on hand, you'll find a delicious use for them here. How about a Spiced Basil Mimosa with ginger honey syrup? If that's too sweet, why not try a cool Cucumber Gimlet? What's not to love in a Passion Fruit Lemon Drop martini, a Classic Mint Julep, or that old favorite the Old Fashioned?

When it comes to an unbeatable cocktail, simple is best. A few basic, high-quality ingredients mixed in the right quantities are all you really need for an ideal libation. The mojito and its muddled cousins are perfect examples, and they're sensationally simple and radically refreshing.

From the Back Cover

"It's refreshing, pretty to look at, and delicious. It has its roots in Cuba and was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway in the 1930s. It is believed to have evolved from a drink back in the 1500s called the 'El Draque' (meaning dragon) named by English pirate Richard Drake, who created it with aguardiente, sugar, lime, and mint."
—From 101 Mojitos & Other Muddled Drinks

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1 edition (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470505214
• ISBN-13: 978-0470505212
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.7 x 8.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,289 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Bartending

More About the Author

Kim Haasarud is a James Beard-honored mixologist, author, and beverage consultant. She conceives her signature cocktails much as Alice Waters would create a specialty dish, taking inspiration from market-fresh, high quality ingredients. "Cocktails, like food, should be culinary experiences," says Haasarud. "It is about combining ingredients to create a sensation on the palate and entice all the senses with a combination of flavors, textures, aromas, and garnishes."

You won't find the standard Cosmopolitan or mix-based Margarita on Haasarud's ever-changing bar card. Instead, depending on the occasion or the season, she might shake up Martini infusing teas with fresh muddled fruits, or concoct a Margarita with ripe kumquats or a combination of kiwis and fresh herbs.

Like many of her peers, Haasarud bartended her way through college. But what was just a job for most became a creative outlet for her keen sense of taste. It also sparked an enduring passion for building great cocktails, one that Haasarud still longed to indulge after graduating and going to work in film and television. She found her opportunity in the many industry parties she attended. "The drinks and the bars were always the same and always boring, despite very creative food and themes," says Haasarud. "I recognized that a great cocktail experience would add a rich element to each event." And thus, Haasarud's company, Liquid Architecture, was formed.

Haasarud's liquid cuisine has stirred up a huge following in both New York and Los Angeles. She works with such groups as: PF Changs, Wyndham Worldwide Hotels & Resorts, OMNI, Ritz Carlton, Mastro's, Z'Tejas, Darden, Brinker, TGI Fridays and hundreds of restaurant and wine and spirit clients have commissioned specialty cocktails by Haasarud, including Moet-Hennessy, SKYY Spirits, Future Brands, Diageo, Maxim, and Pepsico to name just a few.

Kim has been a judge on Iron Chef America, as well doing guest appearances on the "The Today Show," CBS' "Early Morning Show," "Fox & Friends Live," "Montel Williams Show", "Sonoran Living", "Your Life A to Z" and Plum TV. She has been featured on various radio programs including "Good Food" with Evan Kleiman, Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food", "Cosmo Radio" and ABC & CNN Radio syndicate. Her cocktails have been seen in hundreds of magazines and newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post, Saveur, Edible LA, Vogue, SELF, Wine Enthusiast, BRIDES, Woman's World, Lucky, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and Associated Press to name a few. She is also REDBOOK Magazine's "Mommy Mixologist" providing recipes in a monthly column as well as an online blog.

Kim is the author of the best-selling "101... " cocktail series with Wiley & Sons (101 Margaritas , 101 Martinis , 101 Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks, 101 Champagne Cocktails, 101 Blended Drinks and 101 Mojitos and other Muddled Drinks.)

She lives with her husband Kevin, two children Holden & Maddy, and dog Emi in Phoenix, AZ.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Muddle your way to pleasure! October 18, 2011

By David Montgomery VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful recipes July 27, 2011

By D. Smith

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

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!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars no disappointment here... May 4, 2012

By amaryllis30

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

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.