Episode 046

Show Notes

In this interview, we cover some of the basics you might want to have on-hand if you’re looking to improve your garnish game. Here are a few notes to help you on your way.

• Twists – Citrus peels, often expressed over the drink, and then either floated in the cocktaial, clipped to the side of the glass, or skewered on a cocktail pick.
• Brandied Cherries – These are almost always for boozy, stirred drinks like the Manhattan, and they look great at the bottom of a Martini glass, or skewered in a row on a cocktail pick.
• Herbs and Nosegays – A “nosegay” is a term that comes from the age where people didn’t take baths, so they masked that with nice-smelling flowers. In a cocktail a bunch of herbs or a flower that you smell each time you take a sip of the drink can really heighten the experience of the cocktail.
• Grated Spices – Perhaps the oldest garnish, harkening back to the days when nutmeg was freshly grated over punch, ground spices around the rim or directly on top of the cocktail really make for a sensual experience.
• Edible Garnishes – Everything from celery in a Bloody Mary to the cocktail onion in a proper Gibson, edible garnishes are on the rise, and the sky is the limit.
• Stenciled or Drawn Art – Usually on egg white drinks, this is an opportunity to get fancy. But it takes a lot of preparation and practice to get right!
• Dehydrated Fruit – Especially beautiful with blood orange wheels, this is a fun DIY project you can do at home and then keep them at the ready for up to a week after dehydrating.
• Flamed or Branded Garnishes – Fire is a great tool behind the bar. You can flame your expressed orange peel, toast a cinnamon stick, or even create a custom brand on your citrus twist (adult supervision required).
• Objects – Not all garnishes need to be natural or edible. Part of the role of the garnish is to provide a bit of whimsy to the drink. If you can find a way to stage the cocktail so that it’s more of a three dimensional experience, the world is your oyster.