For which type of drink is muddling a technique often used?

Muddling is a technique commonly used in the preparation of cocktails. This method involves crushing herbs, fruits, or other ingredients in the bottom of a glass to release their flavors and aromas before mixing them with other ingredients. For example, in drinks like mojitos, fresh mint leaves are muddled to enhance the drink's taste.

Although smoothies, juices, and milkshakes can involve blending or combining ingredients, they do not typically use muddling as a technique. Smoothies often blend fruits and vegetables entirely, juices are usually pressed or juiced, and milkshakes require blending ice cream with milk, but do not involve the muddling process. Thus, cocktails are the primary type of beverage that benefits from the muddling technique.