5 Show-Stopping Cocktail Garnishes That’ll Make Your Guests Do a Double Take
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Spirits Blog
Ever have some drinks that strike you differently? You get the same cocktail in two separate locations: one looks as though it rolled out of bed, and the other looks good in the close-up. Every other time, it is all about the garnish. Look, we’ve all been there. You have friends, beverages are being poured, and someone is bound to take out the phone and take a photo. Then you come to know that your Old Fashioned, made so carefully, is more or less like any other Old Fashioned they have ever seen. The point is, killer garnish not only makes your drink Instagram-worthy. It transforms the entire experience.
Dehydrated Citrus Wheels
It is at this point that it becomes interesting. That is all right with fresh citrus, but withered wheels? That’s next-level stuff. They are like miniature stained glass windows in your glass, and the concentrated flavor is also quite another thing. The process is dead simple. Chop your oranges, lemons, or limes into thin slices and put them in a low oven for a few hours. What you have are these pretty, nearly transparent discs which will last weeks. Put one in a gin and tonic, and all of a sudden, you are not just a servant anymore.
Herb Ice Cubes
Imagine the following: your guest has just taken a bite, and halfway through his drink, he/she notices the aroma of fresh rosemary or thyme as the ice melts. Pretty clever, right? Simply freeze fresh herbs into cubes. Mint is also tasty in a mojito, of course, but it should have it in a whiskey cocktail with rosemary or in a vodka-based cocktail with basil. The ice melts slowly, and the oils of the herbs are slowly discharged; therefore, the longer the time, the more interesting the drink. As a matter of fact, this saved my last dinner party. I had completely forgotten that I would need garnishes until an hour before I needed them, when there were ice cubes in the freezer with herbs in them, which I had placed there the week before. Crisis averted.
Pro tip:
Crystal-clear ice that actually makes a statement on those herbs will require the use of distilled water.
Candied Citrus Peels
It is a little more of a strain, but believe me on it. Candied peels are not merely decorations; they are a subject of discussion. People always wonder how you made them, and you are the cocktail virtuoso of the company. It is a sort of therapeutic process, in fact. You are roasting the orange peels in sugar syrup till they become glossy and sweet. They are served with brown spirits, and these are a good match of bitter and sweet to ensure your taste buds are acclimatized to listen. To make it really special, have a look at some professional cocktail garnishes that will bring this concept to another level. It is sometimes worth spending on the good stuff.
Flaming Citrus Oils
This section is a little tricky, but the reward is massive. You are not simply bragging when you pour citrus oils and briefly burn them on a drink. You are literally modifying the aromatics in a manner that is influencing the overall cocktail flavor. Take a piece of citrus peel, and hold it in your hand, four inches over the beverage, skin side down. Squeeze it and hold a match somewhere close by. You will encounter a burst of flame and smell an unbelievable burst of citrus oil. The oils lie on the top of the beverage, and each gulp is accompanied by this fantastic aromatic smackdown. Caution, however, first get it practised when alone. There is nothing histrionic that will ruin the mood like burning your eyebrows.
Smoke Bubbles
Here’s something most people have never seen before. Smoking bubbles of edible bubble, which then explode above the beverage. It may sound complex, but it is rather simple when you have mastered it. You will need a mixture of bubbles (the type that children play with will do), a smoking gun, or even some pieces of wood in a pan, and a bubble wand. Catch the smoke in bubbles and serve it on cocktails. When they explode, they perfume with this wonderful odiferousness that is equal to whatever you are taking.The first time I tried it, I thought my friends thought that I had become mad. In the third round, they requested that I make smoke bubbles even in their beverages. To be honest, garnishes like these turn regular evenings into memorable ones. Your guests won’t just remember the drinks. They’ll remember the experience.
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