Cocktail garnish

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A whiskey sour, served in a coupe glass, is garnished with a spiral of lemon peel and two maraschino cherries on a cocktail pick, along with drops of bitters swirled into the foam (from egg white) atop the drink. Whiskey sour in coupe glass with garnishes.jpg
A whiskey sour, served in a coupe glass, is garnished with a spiral of lemon peel and two maraschino cherries on a cocktail pick, along with drops of bitters swirled into the foam (from egg white) atop the drink.
A lime peel "twist" for a garnish adds an elegant touch to this Martini The perfect martini.jpg
A lime peel "twist" for a garnish adds an elegant touch to this Martini

Cocktail garnishes are decorative ornaments that add character or style to a mixed drink, most notably to cocktails. [1]

Contents

They are used to complement and enhance the flavors in a drink by stimulating the special nerve cells in the nose and mouth [2]

A large variety of cocktail garnishes are used. Many rum-based cocktails, especially those with fruit flavors, tend to be decorated with tropical-themed garnishes or slices of fruit. Tequila-based drinks favor limes and other citrus fruits. Gin- and vodka-based drinks tend toward garnishes with a more dignified flair (olives, onions, or possibly a citrus twist or a single maraschino cherry), unless they are variations of a fruity rum-based drink. Whiskey- and brandy-based drinks tend toward minimal garnishment, if any. Restaurant chains and hotel bars tend to use larger and more ostentatious garnishes, and neighborhood bars tend to go the other extreme.

Some garnishes are essential to completing the recipe, as in the case of the olive in the Martini, the maraschino cherries in the Queen Mary and the Manhattan, or the onion in the Gibson. Another reason for garnishes is to make cocktails more "camera ready" so that when photos are taken for the press or social media, different drinks will not look so much alike. [3]

Common edible garnishes

Among common edible garnishes are the following: [4] [5]

Common inedible garnishes

These garnishes are purely for decoration or dramatic flair. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks is a book about cocktails by David A. Embury, first published in 1948. The book is noteworthy for its witty, highly opinionated and conversational tone, as well as its categorization of cocktails into two main types: aromatic and sour; its categorization of ingredients into three categories: the base, modifying agents, and special flavorings and coloring agents; and its 1:2:8 ratio for sour type cocktails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ward 8 (cocktail)</span> Cocktail originating in 1898 in Boston, USA

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloody Mary (cocktail)</span> Popular cocktail containing vodka and tomato juice

A Bloody Mary is a cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and other spices and flavorings including Worcestershire sauce, hot sauces, garlic, herbs, horseradish, celery, olives, pickled vegetables, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, lime juice and celery salt. Some versions of the drink, such as the "surf 'n turf" Bloody Mary, include shrimp and bacon as garnishes. In the United States, it is usually consumed in the morning or early afternoon, and is popular as a hangover cure.

A sherry cobbler is a classic American cocktail made with sherry, sugar and citrus. Its origins are not known in detail, but is believed to have originated sometime in the early 19th century. The earliest known mention is from an 1838 diary of a Canadian traveler to the United States, Katherine Jane Ellice, but it did not gain international name recognition until Charles Dickens included the drink in The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit. To make the drink, orange and lemon are muddled with simple syrup, shaken with ice in a cocktail shaker, and strained into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnishes include mint leaves, raspberry, and orange and lemon slices. It can also be garnished with pineapple wedges or any seasonal berries. Some recipes add pineapple juice.

References

  1. Dale DeGroff (2010). The Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Master Bartender, with 500 Recipes. Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony. ISBN   9780307762276 . Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  2. Navarro, V., LA Speakeasy, 02/27/2018
  3. 1 2 3 "The Gonzo Age of the Cocktail Garnish". 8 September 2015.
  4. Shawn Soole & Nate Caudle (2013). Cocktail Culture: Recipes & Techniques from Behind the Bar. TouchWood Editions. pp. 23–26. ISBN   9781927129944 . Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  5. Tulula, Philippe (2016-02-25). The Cocktail Garnish Manual: The Complete Guide to Cocktail Garnishes, from Simple to Extraordinary. World Cocktails Publishing. ISBN   9780692507001.
  6. Rex Bookstore, Inc. (2007). Learning & Living in the 21st Century Iv for H.s.' 2007 Ed. Rex Bookstore, Inc. pp. 333–335. ISBN   9789712347870 . Retrieved 29 March 2016.