5 Ways To Master The Art Of Cocktail Napkin Folding To Elevate Your Bar Presentation
It’s the little details that make the world of a difference, even when it comes to bar experience. A cocktail napkin, a specific kind of napkin usually accompanied with your cocktails, is more than just your utilitarian addition.
In fact, you can elevate your bar aesthetic by several notches with these humble napkins—of course by folding them in ways that make you look like an absolute professional.
So, here are some techniques you can quickly master to make your guests swoon over your hospitality skills.
The Fan
You will need to lay the napkin flat and fold it in half to form a rectangle.
From one end of the napkin now, start folding in accordion pleats till you reach the opposite end.
Once done, you will fold it lengthwise in half and then attach a napkin ring to the base to secure your carefully constructed design.
The Rose
You need to place your napkin on a flat surface, straighten it and then fold it in half to make a triangle.
Then begin to roll the napkin tightly on itself starting from the side, and continue till you have only a few inches left.
Once the roll is made, you will start twisting the napkin tube vertically on itself till only the tail end is left.
Now you take the tail end and tuck it inside the tight roll that you have made.
The tail that is still poking from folding your napkin in a triangle, you will twist on itself so it becomes the outer petals of your rose.
The Bow Tie
For this one, you would have to fold your napkin vertically and form a triangle.
Take the pointy side of the triangle and fold it in half towards the napkin.
Now, you have to fold the straight twice over, and turn your napkin over. You will be left with a strip of rectangular fabric.
Fold one end of the strip and bring it closer to the centre to about a third length of the napkin.
Bring the other end towards the centre to about approximately the same length as the earlier fold.
Pass your napkin ring through the napkin till you reach the centre.
You will notice there are two tails protruding out, but if not, you will pull down the tail from inside the fold.
The Bishop Hat
Fold your napkin horizontally to form a rectangle.
Take one corner and fold it over to make a triangle.
Fold the other side over in the opposite direction to form another triangle. Now your napkin has the shape of a parallelogram.
Turn the parallelogram on its back and fold the backside, first lengthwise, and then breadthwise on one side. Tuck the fabric left inside the pocket you've made.
Tuck the other side under the second fold and your bishop hat is ready
For a more dramatic effect, you can even make it stand upright instead of laying it flat.
Here are a few pro tips you keep in mind when folding cocktail napkins:
Since cocktail napkins are much smaller in dimension than traditional dinner napkins, mastering the art can take a little bit of time.
While paper napkins are the most common kind of cocktail napkins, they are difficult to manipulate and shape. So opt for either cotton or linen napkins.
If you have fresh or plastic flowers, consider using them to embellish your napkin folds.
