Wedges

Citrus wedges might be the simplest way to add a garnish to your drink. Just cut off the nubby ends of the fruit (if desired), cut the fruit in half, then lengthwise into quarters. Cut a small, shallow slice across so it will easily sit on the edge of your drink. 

For pineapples or watermelon, we typically cut a larger chuck, leaving the rind on and placing it directly into the drink, or skewer the fruit and a brandied cherry with a cocktail pick.

Wheels & Crescents

Citrus or cucumber wheels are also incredibly easy. Just cut your fruit into ¼ inch wide wheels and use it balanced on the side of a drink or float it on top. If you want to get fancy, wrap the wheel around a brandied cherry and skewer with a cocktail pick to create a citrus flag. Or, to make a crescent, just cut one of your wheels in half.

Citrus Peels & Twists

Citrus Peal
To create a thick peel run a Y-shaped peeler along the side of a lemon, orange, or grapefruit to shave the rind without getting a lot of the white pith. The twist should be about 1” wide and 2” long. You can either leave it like this or clean up the edges with a knife or pair of cooking shears. We even like to use a pair of zig-zag shears to leave a fun design on the sides. For some drinks, you may want to twist the peel over the glass to release oils, then run the rind, not the pith, along the edge of the glass. Add the peel to the drink to add even more flavor, or discard.

Thin Twist
To create a thin, curly twist, use a channel knife to dig into the citrus, pull and spiral around the outside multiple times. Then, take the peel in both hands and twist. Release into the drink, allowing the coil to unwind partway, or leave some hanging off the edge of the glass. For more ways to create citrus twists, this is one of our favorite videos.

Fans

Apples and pears can be difficult to balance on the edge of your drink because they’re so fragile. Instead, cut an apple or pear into 5 thin crescents, place them one on top of the other, and fan them out so that you are just holding one corner. Skewer with a cocktail pick.

Brandied Cherries

Many cocktails, whether classic or new age, call for a brandied cherry garnish. Although they’re a tad more expensive, we highly recommend springing for the Luxardo cherries instead of the cloying, bright red maraschino cherries that come on top of your ice cream sundae. Luxardo just tastes way better, and they’re typically what your local speakeasy uses.

Flowers

Flowers work beautifully as a garnish in cocktails, there is one incredibly important consideration – some plants are not safe for human consumption, so make sure that the flower is edible. Moody Mixologist’s list of edible flowers is a good place to start and includes a lot of flowers you might already have in your garden. Flowers make a gorgeous floating garnish on top of your drink, or as part of a mini bouquet with the herbs. To start, find some edible orchids and make an excellent garnish atop Tiki-style cocktails. 

Whole Berries

Whole, ripe berries can make excellent cocktail garnishes: think gorgeous red raspberries, black raspberries, rich blueberries, or even strawberries. We typically like to skewer three or more at a time with a cocktail pick unless we’re skewering something else with it. Larger ones like strawberries can be balanced on the edge of a drink or cut to resemble a flower. It’s a superstition that garnishes should be used in odd numbers, so stick to one or three when possible.  

Ribbon

Ribbons may look complicated, but they’re actually straightforward and fun to reproduce. Run a Y-shaped peeler down the long side of a cucumber a couple times until you have an appealing, pretty ribbon. Then, fold the ribbon back and forth over and over again, creating an accordion shape, then skewer in the middle with a bamboo pick, spreading it out as you go. Place across the top of your cocktail or dunk it in a bloody mary.

Herbs

Herbs are a simple way to garnish a cocktail and can be grown at home or picked up from the grocery store. An herb bunch works best when placing into a drink with crushed ice. We typically bundle 2 stems of mint or Thai basil as garnishes for cocktails that could use a little extra something. Another option is to float a single leaf on top of your stirred or shaken cocktail. To release the oils for a more concentrated taste or aroma without overpowering the drink, lightly smack the back of your hand with the bunch or put the leaf in the center of your hand, then give it a smack with your other hand.

Bitters

Bitters can make for a beautiful garnish on the top of a cocktail, either as a float or as a design similar to latte art. On a cocktail made with crushed ice, you can throw a few dashes of bitters on top to add aroma. Or, on a foamy drink, you can use a dropper bottle to drop just a few dots of Angostura bitters onto the surface, then run a toothpick through the dots to create a design.

Chocolate or Cocoa Nibs

For dessert cocktails, chocolate can make for a delicious garnish. Use a cheese grater to shave small ribbons of dark chocolate onto the drink. Or, keep some cocoa nibs around the house and simply sprinkle them on top.

Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Star Anise

Cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, and star anise are some of our favorite garnishes for fall and winter cocktails. You can either finely grate the them over the top of the cocktail, stick them right inside, or both! Just remember that they are all potent spices, so be prepared for them to dominate other flavors, especially if you submerge these into the drink.