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Cocktail Garnishes...

Are terrific for making good drinks look even better! Garnishes are decorative accents that enhance the appearance to a drink, most notably to cocktails. Some patrons enjoy them simply for their decorative effect, others enjoy eating them as well.

As any good bartender knows, when preparing your cocktail garnishes, make sure they are fresh and washed. The garnish is not only used as ornamentation, but it can actually influence the taste of the drink.

It seems that larger lemons and limes are much sweeter than the smaller ones. Also, make sure that the skin is thin, these tend to be juicer. In order to retrieve more of the juice a bartender will microwave the fruit on high for 20-30 seconds and then let stand for a couple of minutes before cutting and squeezing. Optionally, you can let them soak them in warm water for a few minutes for the same effect. Place the fruit on a flat hard surface with your hand on top of the fruit. Begin rolling back and forth.  This softens the fruit and makes it easier to squeeze the juice out. Always store freshly cut garnish with either a damp napkin over it or in a garnish tray with a cover when not in use. This keeps it fresh and fruit flies off. Freshness is the key word here because sliced fruits usually will not last longer than 24 hours.

Nothing is written in stone when it comes to bartending, especially garnishing drinks. However, try to use the appropriate garnish for the drinks "theme". Rum-based cocktails, like a Bahama Mama, are decorated with tropical garnishes and umbrellas. Tequila based drinks can have any combination of citrus fruits. Gin or vodka based drinks lean toward garnishes with a more distinguished  flair: pearl onions, olives and the popular citrus twist. Brandy and whisky drinks usually have minimal use of garnishes.Upscale restaurants and hotels lean towards the larger, more flamboyant garnishes.  Your local bars tend to go low key and functional. In a nutshell, keep them simple, logical, and fresh. And remember, a bad drink with a great garnish still equals a bad drink!

At the Academy of Professional Bartending® schools in New York, you will learn the importance of garnishing a drink, the different styles of garnish to serve such as Wheels,  Spirals, Balls, Wedges, Drops and much more!

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