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A glass rimmer is a bar accessory used to apply salt or sugar to the rim of a glass. It usually consists of one or more shallow plastic or metal discs that the glass is turned upside down into. The discs can be filled with either the rimming salt or sugar, or sometimes something to moisten the rim of the glass such as lime juice. [1]
The purpose of rimming the glass can either be for aesthetics or to enhance the flavor of a cocktail. Rimming usually crosses both categories. Adding something to the rim of the glass is visually appealing and therefore ornamental, but with proper selection it can substantially enhance the flavor of the drink.
Some bartenders choose to prepare several rimmed glasses in advance to save time on preparation.
There are many ways to adhere salt, sugar, etc. to a rim. These could include gomme syrup, simple syrup, maple syrup, lime, orange or lemon juice, caramel or chocolate sauce, marshmallow crème, and in rare cases, water. Water is generally only used with very finely powdered choices, such as caster sugar, icing sugar, and finely ground spice items such as cinnamon sugar. In most cases the material that is used has a natural tack or stickiness before it dries, and continues to hold after it dries. Typically this is citrus juice, since this is readily available at a bar.
There are several styles of rimming. The most common style is rimming the whole rim of the glass, while another style is half rimming or even three quarter rimming. The logic with partial rims is that if the client wants the additional flavor, it’s available; if they prefer it without, then it can be avoided.
Anything that complements the flavor of the liquor in the drink can be used to rim a glass. Most common materials used are salt and sugar. There are colorful sugars, usually used for cake decorations. There are also flavored salts and sugars. More advanced materials can be used as well like wasabi sugar or wasabi salt for hot and spicy drinks; vanilla sugar, cinnamon sugar, ginger sugar, gingerbread spice and similar for enhancing eggnog and seasonal drinks; salt & pepper, celery salt or celery pepper for the Bloody Mary and Bloody Caesar; powdered chocolate, chocolate sprinkles, and ground coconut for sweet or tropical drinks; Graham cracker crumbs for a sidecar; Jell-O powder and Kool-Aid powder are interesting variations for novelty drinks; and crushed candy cane secured with marshmallow Crème for seasonal cocktails.
These devices come in two, three, four or even five-tier models. The most basic model comes with two compartments. One is for a sponge pad that is generally soaked with lime juice, and the other is filled with salt, since that’s the most common item used for rimming a glass. Most of them can be used without the pad providing an extra compartment for a different rimming material.
A long narrow ceramic tray can also be used to rim a glass. They are easier to clean, easier to fill, reasonably sturdy and they lend themselves to the partial rim technique.
An ordinary coffee cup saucer is sufficient for many typical glasses. The eponymously named Margarita glass might require something as large as the traditional side plate.
There are devices, such as the Barmaid rimmer, that can rim glasses. This device is something akin to a pepper mill, and fits on the edge of the glass and dispenses precisely the right amount of the substance by operating a button on top with one’s thumb as one rotates it or the glass. Its main advantage is that one can rim a glass after it is filled with liquid.
Jell-O, stylised as JELL-O, is an American brand offering a variety of powdered gelatin dessert, pudding, and no-bake cream pie mixes. The original gelatin dessert is the signature of the brand. "Jell-O" is a registered trademark of Kraft Heinz, and is based in Chicago, Illinois.
Marshmallow is a confectionery made from sugar, water and gelatin whipped to a solid-but-soft consistency. It is used as a filling in baking or molded into shapes and coated with corn starch. This sugar confection is inspired by a medicinal confection made from Althaea officinalis, the marsh-mallow plant.
A margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. Some margarita recipes include simple syrup as well and are often served with salt on the rim of the glass. Margaritas can be served either shaken with ice, without ice, or blended with ice. Most bars serve margaritas in a stepped-diameter variant of a cocktail glass or champagne coupe called a margarita glass. The margarita is one of the world's most popular cocktails and the most popular tequila-based cocktail.
The daiquiri is a cocktail whose main ingredients are rum, citrus juice, and sugar or other sweetener.
A garnish is an item or substance used as a decoration or embellishment accompanying a prepared food dish or drink. In many cases, it may give added or contrasting flavor. Some garnishes are selected mainly to augment the visual impact of the plate, while others are selected specifically for the flavor they may impart. This is in contrast to a condiment, a prepared sauce added to another food item primarily for its flavor. A food item which is served with garnish may be described as being garni, the French term for "garnished."
A shooter, or shot, is a small serving of spirits or a mixed drink, typically consumed quickly, often in a single gulp. It is common to serve a shooter as a side to a larger drink.
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.
Cocktail garnishes are decorative ornaments that add character or style to a mixed drink, most notably to cocktails.
A "fizz" is a mixed drink variation on the older sours family of cocktail. Its defining features are an acidic juice and carbonated water. It typically includes gin or rum as its alcoholic ingredient.
A greyhound is a cocktail consisting of grapefruit juice and gin mixed and served over ice. If the rim of the glass has been salted, the drink is instead called a salty dog.
There are many cocktails made with cachaça, the national spirit of Brazil. The caipirinha is by far the most popular and internationally well-known, but bartenders have developed other mixed drinks using the spirit.
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.
The Navy Grog was a popular rum-based drink served for many years at the Polynesian-themed Don the Beachcomber restaurants; it is still served in many so-called tiki restaurants and bars. First created by Donn Beach, who almost single-handedly originated the tiki cultural fad of the 1940s and 1950s, it was one of dozens of rum concoctions that he, and later Trader Vic and numerous other imitators, sold in exotic tropical settings. Not quite as potent as the Beachcomber's more famous Zombie, it was, nevertheless, shown on the menu as being limited to two, or sometimes three, to a customer. Reportedly, Phil Spector consumed at least two Trader Vic’s Navy Grogs at the Beverly Hilton restaurant, without eating any food, the night he later killed actress Lana Clarkson.
The paloma is a tequila-based cocktail. This drink is most commonly prepared by mixing tequila, lime juice, and a grapefruit-flavored soda such as Fresca, Squirt, or Jarritos and served on the rocks with a lime wedge. Adding salt to the rim of the glass is also an option.
A lemon drop is a vodka-based cocktail that has a lemony, sweet and sour flavor, prepared using vodka, triple sec, and fresh lemon juice. It has been described as a variant of, or as "a take on", the vodka martini, but is in fact closer to a white lady variant. It is typically prepared and served straight up – chilled with ice and strained.
Sharbat is a drink prepared from fruit or flower petals. It is a sweet cordial, and usually served chilled. It can be served in concentrated form and eaten with a spoon or diluted with water to create the drink.
The vampiro is a cocktail that includes fruit juice, spices, fresh lime juice, and tequila. The vampiro has a fruity savory, and spicy taste.