Saucy Cocktail Garnishes: 6 Easy Ways To Get Started
Garnishing your cocktail can make a tremendous difference in the appearance of a drink. If you want to upgrade your beverage and create a delicious and visually appealing cocktail, then garnish is the answer.
Knowing some simple yet effective options to garnish your drink will already make a considerable difference. For instance, you can put a Maraschino cherry on an elegant cocktail pick, add a hand-carved orange peel, or a simple sprig of thyme.
Choosing a suitable type of garnish for your cocktail will highly improve the results. We will tell you how you can level up your cocktail-making game.
Different Types of Cocktail Garnishes
You can make a cocktail garnish from all kinds of things. Some garnishes complete a drink and even are kind of essential. They are usually edible, highly fragrant, or add texture in any way - for example, the classic Olive in a Martini. Other types of garnishes only improve the cocktail visually. Ice stamps and citrus peels are some examples of those.
To provide you with some inspiration, we made an overview of different types of cocktail garnishes. Consider these tips when creating your next masterpiece concoction.
1. Any Fruit Variant
We already mentioned citrus peels. And there are so many possibilities to create a stunning cocktail garnish with lemon, lime, or orange peel. It can be a simple stripe to small or hand-carved pieces of art. Peels from citrus fruits have always been some of the most famous ways to garnish a cocktail, and they still are.
Here are some great examples of how peels from oranges, lemons, or limes can improve the presentation of your drink:
Wedges or slices of citrus fruits are also popular options. The slice of lemon in a Gin and Tonic or lime wedges in a Caipirinha, this way to garnish a cocktail is fast, easy, and can complement a drink well. Plus, you don't need to be an artist for this garnish. You can also dehydrate slices of citrus fruits, creating dried fruit garnish.
Sometimes whole fruits are being used. A clover club can be elegantly garnished with raspberries lined up on a cocktail pick. Another possibility is whole, frozen fruits. Especially berries like blueberries and blackberries can cool your drink while they will look amazing in your cocktail.
2. Flowers
It's no secret that flowers to a drink can create beautiful results. A lot of cocktails you see on Instagram use flowers to elevate the appearance of cocktails. While it's tempting to take the prettiest and most unique flowers to use as a garnish, always double-check if it is poisonous before you use it.
If you made sure everything is safe, get creative. There are unlimited possibilities to improve the look of your cocktail with the right flowers. If you need some inspiration, check out our Instagram page.
3. Cocktail Pick
Using a cocktail pick works in two ways. Primary, they are a tool to showcase another garnish like raspberries or a maraschino cherry. Alternatively, a finely designed cocktail pick itself can garnish your cocktail.
Cocktail picks are available in many different materials and sizes. Choose a sustainable beauty you can reuse, and you will have a cocktail garnish ready at any time with absolutely no effort.
4. Dusting
A cool and a little more elaborate way to impress with a cocktail garnish is dusting your glass. Using raspberry or cocoa powder to coat the cocktail glass is a great way to showcase your creativity.
If applied to the rim, putting dust on your glass adds extra flavor. Even if it's not about the taste, it will lift the quality of your drink because you can also smell this garnish.
5. Ice Stamps
Using crystal clear ice alone is an excellent way to garnish a cocktail. But using an ice stamp to personalize or brand the see-through block of ice is makes a classic drink unique and special.
If you ever wondered how this works, it's pretty straightforward. The process doesn't take more than 2-3 seconds. You only need to press your ice stamp firmly onto an ice cube and hold it for 2 seconds. That's it!
6. Glassware
Yes, glassware can also count as a type of garnish. There are beautiful glass options that improve the appearance of your cocktail instantly.
Gin Tonics served in Coppa glasses, a gold-rimmed whiskey tumbler, or using a bird-shaped cocktail glass can work wonders. A glass elevates the look of a drink by simply using it. There's no easier way, is there?
Be Creative!
Cocktail garnishes are all about showcasing creativity. Think about your cocktail and what garnish could work with it. Enhance flavors, highlight ingredients, add color, or make it look amazing.
It doesn't have to be overly complicated. A salt rim on a Margarita works, a maraschino cherry in an old-fashioned works, lime wedges work. There are countless possibilities. And once you get started, more and more ideas will come to your mind.
Dress Your Cocktail to Impress
Create your favorite cocktail and add some fantastic garnish to it. If you want to upgrade your beverage and create an elegant cocktail, then be sure to try all the tips we mentioned. And if the inspiration wasn't enough, you could still check out this video gallery for cocktail recipes and ideas.
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