Make a muddle
A good muddler, like the Long Handle Muddle, is crucial for a well-equipped home bar.
I used to tend bar, and every so often someone would walk in and ask for a drink that required muddling--mashing up fruit or herbs. I'd always get excited, because, if you ask me, they make for some of the best-tasting drinks--like the Old Fashioned. No home bar is really complete without a muddler, and one I particularly like is the Long Handle Muddle. It's not just for mashing up fruit, either; a muddle can be used to get the most out of mint and other fresh herbs and spices, making it essential for drinks like mojitos. The list of drinks a muddler is used for is long and, if you're the type to experiment with what you're drinking, it's a fun way to get interesting, fresh ingredients in your drink.
The Long Handle Muddle is about 9.5 inches long, which means in will work with most glass sizes. It has a unique design for the pestle base: it's concave, with pyramid-shaped points that are particularly good at breaking up fruit in a glass. The pestle is made from a synthetic material that is dishwasher safe, which makes it easier to clean than classic wooden muddlers. The Long Handle Muddle is available for $20.99 from Bed Bath & Beyond.