We’d like to welcome our friends at Advanced Mixology to Local Food Matters! We hope you enjoy this feature by them.
– Fern Bar

Garnishes give life to a cocktail and tell your guests that you take your hosting seriously. While an Old-Fashioned will taste the same without the lemon peel dropped into it, the lemon peel in the glass seems to beckon you to pick it up. How about a martini with a bird-of-paradise-inspired apple garnish? You get the idea. Garnishes not only beautifies a cocktail. It entices you to drink it. They don’t have to be elaborate also. A simple yet artful garnish is better than a sloppily-made elaborate one.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Citrus Rose

The citrus garnish may not be the most common cocktail garnish you will see but is a good one to top your frozen cocktails. Two to three “petals” should be enough. 

Here’s how to make a citrus rose garnish:

• Slice your lime or lemon thinly. Cut a slit to the wheels, from the center to the peel. 
• Take the smallest slice and roll it into a tight coil from the slit. Secure it with a toothpick. 
• Overlap the cut on the lime slit so it resembles a shallow cone. Stick it after the first coil.
• Continue until you have 2-3 petals on the toothpick, not counting the first coil. 

Dehydrated Citrus Slices

Dehydrated citrus slices give a new character to cocktails. You can also make a good batch out of leftover citrus slices you prepared for fresh citrus garnishes. This can be a good garnish for the Pineapple Dark and Stormy in this roundup article.  

Here’s how you make it:

• Make a rich syrup by heating 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water. Continue stirring until all syrup slightly thinkens. Turn off the heat.
• Drop in the sliced lime, lemon, or orange slices into the syrup.
• Arrange each slice on a parchment lined baking tray.

• Bake for at least 4 hours at 170oF (77oC), turning over after 2 hours for even drying.
• Let cool completely on a cooling tray.
• Keep in an airtight container until next use.

Double Citrus Twist

This double citrus twist is probably the most useful garnish you can find here. It’s so simple to make that you can make it with your eyes closed. Kidding aside, this is one beautiful garnish you can make. 

Here’s how you make it:

• Cut off the end of the lemon, lime, or orange. 
• Cut a thin slice halfway through the citrus.
• Cut a second slice next to the halfway cut but slice it all the way.
• Cut a slit in the center of the side of the slice that is not cut halfway.
• Twist the slit into opposite directions, opening the top slices. The lower photo should be how your double twist looks like. 

Lemon Twists

This is one of the classic garnishes that is a lot harder to make than you think. Aside from the usual knife, you will also need a bar spoon. 

Here’s how you make a citrus twist:

• Cut off the ends of your lemon, lime, or orange.
• Insert the bar spoon between the citrus flesh and the peel. Aim for the white pith. Cut through the lemon, going around the lemon. 
• Do this on the other end of the lemon.
• Cut across the rind and remove it.

•  Instead of doing this, another method may be just cutting off a strip of citrus peel using a peeler. 

• Roll the rind and cut it into small strips.
• You can roll the citrus strip on the twisted stem of the bar spoon. You can also roll it into a tight coil then pull it into opposite directions. 

Flower

This one is a lot simpler than the citrus rose. You will need a peeler to do this. 

Here’s how you make the flower:

• Cut through the orange or lemon using a peeler.
• Cut a long strip of the peel, keeping it almost of the same width. 
• Roll the peel into a tight coil and secure using a skewer or toothpick. 

• 

• 

Heart

This garnish will surely add a romantic vibe to your cocktail. 

Here’s how you make it:

• Cut a long strip of the peel using a peeler.
• Cut off the rough edges then cut a long rectangular strip.
• Cut a triangular end on one end of the strip then a long cut along the middle of the strip on the other end.
• Skewer through about a third of the long strip and gather the two ends to skewer through it then on to the other side of the strip so it forms a heart. 

• 

• 

Garnishes are a good way to up your cocktail game. A properly garnished cocktail will always be a hit anywhere. Enjoy your cocktails. Check out advancedmixology.com for more garnishing tips. 

Want some Fern Bar cocktail recipes to try your new garnish tricks out on? Try our Long Thailand Iced Tea or @Wimbledon!