Cocktail garnish
{{short description|Decorative element added to a drink}}
File:Whiskey sour in coupe glass with garnishes.jpg, 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.]]
Image:The perfect martini.jpg 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.{{cite book | title = The Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Master Bartender, with 500 Recipes | author= Dale DeGroff |publisher = Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=QiAOe9R8dJwC&q=cocktail+garnish&pg=PT100 | date = 2010 | isbn = 9780307762276 | access-date = 29 March 2016 }}
They are used to complement and enhance the flavors in a drink by stimulating the special nerve cells in the nose and mouthNavarro, V.,[http://www.laspeakeasy.com/single-post/2018/02/27/Fk-A-Garnish] LA Speakeasy, 02/27/2018
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.{{cn|date=October 2024}}
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.{{Cite web|url=https://punchdrink.com/articles/cocktail-garnishes-evolution-history-tiki-garnish/|title = The Gonzo Age of the Cocktail Garnish| date=8 September 2015 }}
Common edible garnishes
Among common edible garnishes are the following:{{cite book | title = Cocktail Culture: Recipes & Techniques from Behind the Bar | author= Shawn Soole & Nate Caudle |publisher = TouchWood Editions |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=g7H51fXdqV8C&q=cocktail+garnish&pg=PA25 | date = 2013 | pages = 23–26 | isbn = 9781927129944 | access-date = 29 March 2016 }}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lJWzjwEACAAJ|title=The Cocktail Garnish Manual: The Complete Guide to Cocktail Garnishes, from Simple to Extraordinary|last=Tulula|first=Philippe|date=2016-02-25|publisher=World Cocktails Publishing|isbn=9780692507001|language=en}}
- Bitters dashed onto the egg-white foam atop a shaken cocktail such as a whiskey sour.
- Candied ginger
- Carrot sticks
- Celery stalks (usually with leaves attached)
- Cinnamon, grated
- Cocktail olives (often stuffed with pimentos)
- Cocktail onions
- Flowers
- Lemon slice, twist, or wedge
- Lime slice, twist, or wedge
- Maraschino cherries
- Mint sprigs or leaves
- Nutmeg, grated
- Orange slice, twist, or wedge
- Pepper
- Pineapple slice or wedge
- Salt, coarse (applied to the rim of glasses)
- Shrimp
- Star anise
- Strawberries
- Sugar, granulated or powdered
- Watermelon wedge
Image:Cloud 9 - round 2.jpg|Maraschino cherry
Image:Cocktail olives.jpg|Cocktail olive
Image:Cocktail1.jpg|Lemon slice
Image:Tanqueray martini.jpg|Lime twist
Image:Cuban cocktails.jpg|Orange, mint, and lime
Image:Piña Colada.jpg|Pineapple wedge
Image:Di mare (Bloody Mary).jpg|Shrimp
Image:Champagne Cocktail.jpg|Raspberry
Common inedible garnishes
These garnishes are purely for decoration or dramatic flair.{{cite book | title = Learning & Living in the 21st Century Iv for H.s.' 2007 Ed. | author= Rex Bookstore, Inc. |publisher = Rex Bookstore, Inc. |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Trd4uTceAy8C&q=inedible+cocktail+garnish&pg=PA333 | date = 2007 | pages = 333–335 | isbn = 9789712347870 | access-date = 29 March 2016 }}
- Bead necklaces (especially common during Mardi Gras and Carnival)
- Candles
- Cocktail umbrellas
- Drinking straws (colorful or unusually shaped)
- Fire (see Flaming beverage)
- Flags
- Inedible flowers
- Plastic animals (attached to the rim of the glass)
- Plastic swords
- Sparklers
- Swizzle sticks
Image:Cocktail monkey.jpg|Cocktail monkey
Image:Cocktail umbrella side.jpg|Cocktail umbrella
Image:Cocktail straws.jpg|Drinking straws
Image:Flaming cocktails.jpg|Fire
Image:Cocktails 03.jpg|Sparklers, straws, watermelon and other decorations
Image:Brass monkey drink.jpg|Swizzle stick and straw in a Collins glass
See also
{{portal|Food|Drink|Liquor}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{wikibooks-inline|Bartending}}
- {{Commonscat-inline|Cocktail garnishes}}
{{Alcoholic beverages}}
{{Bartending}}