The 10 Best Ideas To Decorate Your Cocktails: Cocktail Recipes
When it comes to creating a special cocktail, presentation matters! Whether hosting a party or just enjoying a night in, decorating your cocktails can make them look and taste even better.
From icing glasses to fresh fruit slices, there are many ways to add an extra flair to your drinks and impress your guests. Here are ten of the best ideas for decorating cocktails that will take your cocktail game up a notch!
The Choice Of Decoration
There aren’t any strict guidelines for decoration, except for the traditional cocktails, which require a particular presentation—often one that is brief and straightforward. While long cocktails are frequently more elaborate, short drinks typically satisfy their purpose with little to no ornamentation.
Typically, the decorating should be upbeat and energising while keeping it understated to prevent the cocktail from overly complicated. You should base your decor decisions on the type of glass utilised, the colour of the concoction, and its constituent parts.
Nonetheless, it is quite easy to use ingredients unrelated to the recipe. Respecting a certain harmony and remaining creative is key. Use only perfectly ripe fruits and veggies. Never use anything else. Before using them, don’t forget to wash them.
Icing Glasses
One way to instantly dress up your drinks is with an iced rim. You can change the appearance of your glasses by optically freezing them. Just apply the granulated sugar to the upper edge of the glass and then soak it in lemon juice for this. You can progressively dip the glass’s rims into one saucer filled with lemon juice and the other with sugar to achieve the perfect frosting.
Pour the liquid into the glass after letting the sugar dry. You can swap out lemon juice with syrup (grenadine, mint) or a liquid pigment to make colourful icing (blue Curacao). Use egg whites instead of lemon juice to frost your glass with coconut, chocolate, or coffee powder. You can produce bi-colour frosting or half-frost the glass with a little practice. This adds a fun and festive look to any cocktail!
Dusting
There are endless recipes for coffee, cocoa, or nutmeg lattes. But you can also add other ingredients, such as ground coffee, cocoa powder, or nutmeg, to your drinks (coconut milk latte, red fruit latte).
Fresh Mint
It is used primarily for compositions, though you may also use it to change the colour of your cocktails. Put a sprig of fresh mint on the edge of the glass, or place one in the glass for a refreshing flavour. The fresh mint leaves can also be soaked in water, drained, and then adhered to the glass walls.
Straws, Cocktail Picks, And Sticks Mixers
Modern-day glasses are a great invention, and they come in so many shapes, sizes, colours and styles that it can be difficult to find the perfect pair. But let me tell you that with these glasses with a twistable wire in the temple, you’ll never lose them again. Plus, you’ll get an instant pop of colour by twisting your frames!
Zest And Fruit Peel
Cut a citrus fruit into a dash about 6 cm long with a vegetable peeler, then add it to the cocktail. The peel can also be sliced and hung from the glass’ edge.
Cut a strip of the fruit’s bark measuring 10 to 12 cm long with a cannelure to create spirals of citrus zest. Finally, after wrapping the strap around a straw, keep it in place for a short time so that it assumes the shape of a spiral. Take out the straw, then hang the spiral twist from the glass’ edge.
Fruit Slices
Floating thin slices of fruit such as oranges, limes or lemons in your drink can give it a beautiful presentation and add a hint of flavour. Just be sure not to overdo it so the taste isn’t too overpowering.
These simple yet beautiful techniques are a great way to add a twist to your refreshing drink on any occasion. Prepare a syrup of 3 parts water and 1 part sugar to make the floating fruit. Then all you need is a container that can hold at least 6 cups of liquid, such as a pitcher.
Additional Fruit
Another easy way to add decoration is by freezing fruits into cubes which can then be added directly into drinks without diluting them too much like normal ice cubes would do. This method can also be used with juices or other liquids if desired!
Peeling citrus fruit, such as oranges and grapefruits, entails fully removing the fruit’s bark. Cut the fruit’s ends first, then peel it while being careful to get rid of any skin underneath the bark.
Slice non-citrus fruit (apples, pears, peaches, and apricots) diagonally, reserving the skin. After that, you can either place the districts in the mixture itself or on kebab skewers made of wood.
Fruit Or Vegetable Skewers
Garnishes are an essential part of a well-mixed drink. They make the drink look appealing and add flavour and aroma. Adding garnishes such as olives, fresh fruit slices, edible flowers, or herbs takes your cocktails from ordinary to extraordinary.
Not only do they make your drinks look amazing, but they also enhance the taste. When you’re on the go, garnishes are key to making your cocktail stand out, and you can use them on both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Exotic Fruit
You can use a variety of exotic fruits, such as star fruit, kumquat, litchi, mango, kiwi, Peruvian ground cherry, etc., depending on the season and what is in the season. Moreover, flowers can give your cocktails a touch of incomparable individuality.
For the most part, fruits are available all year round, but some may be difficult to find or expensive depending on the season. The seasons change when it comes to flowers, but they are in a constant cycle of availability.
Conclusion
A drink’s garnish is known to add a significant visual component. Also, they enhance flavour and occasionally change the taste by adding flavour directly or utilising aromatic ingredients like citrus oils or fragrant herbs. Now, you know how to make your night exciting by decorating your cocktails. Prepare and enjoy now!
FAQs
What are cocktail decorations?
As the name implies, cocktail garnishes are decorative ornaments that infuse flavour and character into a mixed drink. Cocktail garnishes can be simple or elaborate, edible or inedible, large or small, dropped into drinks or perhaps discarded altogether. They can be decorative or embellished.
What can I rim my cocktail with?
The most familiar item to rim a glass is the salt on a margarita. Still, you can use the same principle with sugar, cocoa powder or nibs, chilli powder, dried or fresh herbs, or wherever your imagination takes you.
Why do we garnish cocktails?
Far from pointless tradition, their purpose is to allow the drinker to regulate the level of acidity and sourness of the drink taste rather than being left completely to the bartender’s whims. If you prefer your daiquiri on the sweeter side, discard the lime on the rim.
