Imagine and Create:

1. Glassware

Upgrading your glassware is one of the most missed opportunities for increasing the presentation factor of a cocktail. You don’t need to spend $15 on each piece of glass behind your bar, even a occasional trip to the thrift store can add a lot of unique glasses to your bar program.

2. Ice

Ice is extremely important when it comes to cocktails as 20-30% of the volume in your drink is from the dilution in your ice. Kold Draft and a few other manufacturers of dense cubed ice can add a lot to the presentation of a drink, but if you have a freezer and some patience, there are a lot of great ways to use ice as a garnish in drinks.

3. Straws

You could create different kinds of straws. The one that I made before was actually made from a vanilla bean!

4. Gradient of the Alcohol

Understanding the density of the ingredients that you work with can give you the opportunity to create a dramatic separation in your drink. A Pousse-cafe is a great example of this and also a Dark and Stormy.

5. Get Creative and reinforce the flavors in the drink

Have fun and get creative with the cocktail that goes in/on the drink. Look to reinforce the flavors that are already present in the drink and look for creative options on how to present them. Grilling/roasting citrus is a fun way to add a smoky note to your garnish, or even using a cookie cutter to create an image out of a plain citrus peel. You can use Herbs and spices to accentuate flavors that may be present in the spirits you are using in the cocktail you are creating.

Resources:

• Google Image Search
• Pinterest

Garnishes can often be an after thought when designing a drink, but arguably it is one of the most important steps in creating a memorable cocktail. Nothing sells a cocktail better than how it looks!

What are your ways to create cocktail garnishes? Share it to us in the comments below!