Garnishes are very important for mixed drinks. They make your drinks look more presentable and add some flavour in it. There are about six main cocktail garnishes.
i. Lime wedges
ii. Lemon wedges
iii. Maraschino cherries
iv. orange
v. whipped cream
vi. stuffed olives
• Lime
Limes, oranges and lemons are usually cut into 8 wedges per fruit. To make a lime wedge cocktail garnish start by cutting off the lime ends. Cut the lime into half from one end to the other and then cut each half of the lime into four equal pieces. This can be used anytime you make a drink with lemon and lime soda, soda water in drinks containing lime-like juice. Sometimes you can use it in drinks that are a bit sour and sweet, for instance in Margaritas.
• Lemons
The lemon wedge cocktail garnish uses the same method as lime. However, one can decide to use a twist and cut the lemon rind from one point to the other making 1/3 inch strips. This lemon can be used in tea, for instance, the Long Beach Iced Tea, and the Long Island Iced Tea. It can also be used in lemonades, lemon drop martinis and other drinks containing lemon.
• Maraschino Cherries
This is used for drinks that have no alcohol content and are available at the stores. You do not have to prepare this because they are ready to use when you buy them. However, you should remember to refrigerate them before opening the storage jar. You can use them in drinks such as sour apple martini, Collins mix and Manhattans.
• Orange
This cocktail garnish uses the same technique as lime wedges. If you want to make an orange spiral, use a citrus stripper. Start the spiral at one end of the orange and cut around the orange going downwards, making long spirals. You can use the cocktail anytime you take collins mix and drinks containing orange.
• Whipped cream
This can be bought at the store ready to use. Some manufacturers make chocolate whipped cream and fat free whipped cream. This can be used with hot drinks like coffee drinks and sometimes with frozen drinks as well like strawberry daiquiri.
• Olive
Olives come in two ways, plain and stuffed. The stuffed ones are either stuffed with pepper or other ingredients. They do not need preparation because they are ready to use. However, refrigerating them before opening is recommended. Use them with vodka martinis and Gin martinis but never with fruity martinis.
Other cocktail garnishes
i. Coffee beans
ii. Banana
iii. Celery
iv. Chocolate
v. Berries
vi. Candy
vii. Strawberries
Mocktail garnish list
Some of the favourite mocktail garnishes that are commonly used include;
i. Raspberry kebab
ii. Apple slices
iii. Whole strawberry
iv. Cucumber garnish
v. Celery garnish
There are different ways you can make your mocktail worth taking and this is by including it in the following drinks.
• Alcohol-free Mint Julep
This is good for people who do not take alcohol. Now, instead of taking just water, one can enjoy the classic mint julep with a twist as they enjoy the Kentucky Derby. This can be garnished using a mint sprig and a straw.
• Shirley Temple
This is good for little girls and party-loving individuals. Some of these drinks may have alcohol content, while others do not. As adults, it is advisable to check for alcohol content before picking one for your children.
• Lusty Lime Virgin
When you want to make this drink, make sure to use cheap diet cola. The sweetener use diet cola because it makes your drink taste like it has alcohol in it when it doesn’t.
To sum up, cocktail and mocktail garnishes not only catch your eye, but also compliment the taste of your drink. You will never run out of options to make a great cocktail or mocktail because there are a lot of garnishes you can use and many recipes ready to guide you through the process of creating cocktail or mocktail masterpieces. Some people would want to get ready-to-use garnish which is possible because there are others which are already prepared and sold in the stores. Find your way to the store and get yourself a cocktail or mocktail garnish of your choice.