Bar technique
Cocktail garnishes: twists, wheels and herbs
A good garnish adds something you can smell or taste. The oil sprayed from a fresh citrus twist changes the first sip of a Martini or an Old Fashioned more than any amount of decoration.
Prepare garnishes before service, keep them covered and cold, and handle them with tongs.
How to do it
- 1Cut a twist with a Y-peeler: a wide strip of peel with as little white pith as possible.
- 2Hold it skin side down a few centimetres above the drink and pinch it, so the oil sprays across the surface.
- 3Run the peel around the rim if the spec says so, then drop it in or discard it as the spec says.
- 4Wake a mint sprig by clapping it once between your hands, and set it next to the straw.
- 5Cut wheels and wedges before the shift and keep them in a covered, chilled container.
Common mistakes
- Thick pith on a twist, which tastes bitter.
- Tired, browning garnishes left out from the last shift.
- Picking garnishes up with bare fingers.
Related: stirring, glassware, rims and rinses.
