Dapper Serves
To the untrained eye, garnish may appear to be an afterthought, but to the experienced eye, it may make the difference between a well-made drink and a subpar serving. A single plump green olive immersed in a bath of gin and vermouth, or a delicate spray of citrus oils from a twist, not only offers visual appeal to your drinks but also add aromatics and delicate flavours. Here are five simple yet useful garnishes you should get to know if you like fine liquor.
Citrus twist
The most adaptable garnish is this one. Most beverages pair well with lemon, lime, and orange in the shape of twists, slices, wheels, and wedges, which also provide fresh, tangy tones to the serving. However, the twist is a far better option. Used to cut through the sweetness of syrups or liqueurs, it is also used to express a layer of citrus oils on top of the beverage to enhance the flavors.
Use a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife to carefully remove a strip of orange rind over the beverage. Fold the edges in with the peel facing out, and watch as a mist of glittering citrus oils sprays from the peel. Pour a straightforward glass of sweet vermouth over ice, then sip it both before and after adding a lemon twist to experience its charm.
Herbs
A fresh leaf sprig placed on top of a beverage simply looks festive and chic. Just as simple as the twist is using fresh herbs. Verify that the herbs are fresh, give them a quick, firm slap to release the essential oils, then drop them into the beverage. All there is to it is that. However, be careful when you spank because if the leaves are torn, chlorophyll will leak out and make the food taste unpleasant and grassy. There are several alternatives, including mint, basil, rosemary, cilantro, and thyme. These are great aromatics and give the beverages a herbaceous edge. For instance, mint gives your drinks an unmistakable cooling, clean flavor.
Cherries
A drip of delicious cherry syrup from three flawless, dazzling cherries with whisky in a rock glass is like a sunset in a glass because cherries are known for their richness. They improve the sweet-sour contrast and fruity modifiers like sweet vermouth or maraschino liqueur when used as a garnish for drinks like Whiskey sour and Manhattan.
Olives
Martinis are famous for their characteristic salty, savory, aromatic olive garnish. However, these strong beauties can also be found in many other whiskies and gin cocktails, such as the Manhattan. Before adding olives to cocktails, wash them to remove the oil that could alter the beverage's look. The stuffed or unstuffed olives' green fruity brininess provides a pleasant counterpoint to the cocktails' greater sweetness. Just plop one into a Martini glass or skewer three onto a cocktail pick before dropping it into the beverage. To really appreciate the contrast of flavors in the drink, keep at least one of the olives for a post-drink snack.
Pickled Onion
Pickled onions, a Gibson hallmark, provide alcoholic beverages with a sweet, umami flavor. Although crunchy fresh pickled onion rings work just as well to offer a savory depth and complexity, little white cocktail onions are the preferred option. The zingy, reviving onions pair nicely with dry Martinis. For a straightforward but delectable drink, try it with Smirnoff No 21 vodka.
