Even novice bartenders know that preparing a tasty drink is only half the battle. A very important point is the decoration of the cocktail. Such drinks are always found in appearance. The task of the modern bartender is to surprise the client. And for this they have a lot of ways. It is the decorations that give the cocktails a special charm, make them attractive. The simplest drink in a beautifully designed glass becomes an elite cocktail.
Cocktail aesthetics
To decorate cocktails, you can use:
- fruits;
- vegetables;
- berries;
- peel of citrus;
- greens;
- whipped cream;
- spice rims;
- sticks;
- umbrellas
- chocolate plates;
- edible gold petals and more.
Of course, when decorating drinks, you need to use imagination, but you should not neglect the sense of proportion either. There are cocktails that do not need decoration at all. There are still drinks for which certain standards are established. For example, only olive can be used for dry “Martini”; it is not supplemented with anything else. Cherry is typical for Manhattan, a dwarf onion for Gibson.
Classic jewelry
Jewelry not only gives the individuality to drinks, but also often emphasize their composition. Like cocktails themselves, sometimes they are born by mixing, at first glance, completely disparate ingredients. Jewelry can combine edible details with inedible details.
There is an International Association of Bartenders, which has approved a list of cocktails with a strictly defined design. But the decorations for milkshakes are often improvised.
Sometimes drinks are garnished just to distinguish them.
For example, Negroni and Americano are like two brothers. A distinctive feature of his drink gave himself Count Camillo Negroni. He really did not want his creation to be confused with Americano, so the count insisted that a slice of orange be added to his drink. Cocktail decoration photo below.
"Americano" was coined in 1917 by the Americans in Italy. To prepare it, the glass is filled with ice, and sweet red vermouth and Campari bitter are poured in equal shares there. Then, soda water is added to taste. Negroni was invented three years later directly by the Italians, in addition to vermouth and Campari, they also add gin. That is, now the drink does not consist of two equal parts, but of three. Outwardly, they are very similar, they can be mixed up. That is why the fruit for decorating the Negroni cocktail is an orange, while Americano is garnished with lemon peel.
The second example is Gibson and Dry Martini. Their main difference is the decor. As part of Gibson, gin and dry vermouth are nine to one. This drink is poured into a glass, a third filled with crushed ice. For decor, use a small pickled onion.
Dry Martini consists of eight parts of gin and two dry vermouth. In the same way, a glass filled with crushed ice is filled with a drink. But the decoration of the cocktail is olive. The only thing is that a little lemon juice is still squeezed into this drink.
History reference. The Dry Martini cocktail was coined in 1860 by one of San Francisco's best-known bartenders, Jerry Thomas, on the occasion of his best friend's departure for Martinez. At first, alcohol was called Martinez. But then other drinks began to be made under this name. To avoid confusion, the cocktail was renamed “Dry Martini”.
How to make DIY cocktail decorations
Inedible elements are often used for such purposes. This refers to the use of straws, spoons, umbrellas, and sometimes even sparklers. Such cocktail decorations are usually attached to the edge of the dishes.
These decorative elements are not allowed only at professional bartenders' competitions organized by the International Barman Association. Here you can use only wooden toothpicks in order to fix edible jewelry.
But novice bartenders, on the contrary, are encouraged to use various tricks in order to lure customers to their drinks. It is in this matter that there is a unique opportunity to express oneself immediately.
There is one uptime. Allow the guest to complement the decoration himself. Firstly, this activity is interesting and addictive, and secondly, it is unlikely that anyone will criticize the drink, to the creation of which he himself had a hand.
When decorating the drink, it is important not to overdo it. Remember that not only taste, but also color should be combined. And do not make too large jewelry, it is very difficult to fix them well, so they can fall at the most inopportune moment. It is unlikely that the client will enjoy the dirty things. The effect of the drink will be completely ruined.
It is worth remembering about auxiliary material. For example, about the substance from which the rim is made. The most famous of them are sugar and salt. But no one forbade the use of citrus juices, liquors and honey.
Do not forget that layered cocktails do not need decorations.
Fruit slicing
Before you start decorating, first of all, you need to thoroughly sanitize your hands.
It is best, of course, to cut the fruits immediately before decorating, but, unfortunately, such an opportunity is not always there. Especially when it comes to bars that are located in very popular establishments. The bartender just physically does not have enough time to cut fruit.
Tip: apple decorations should only be made before serving. Prepared figures are sure to darken.
Olives and cherries
In no case can you get out of the can and put olives and onions in the drink with your hands. There is a special peak for this action.
Cherries, on the contrary, should not be pricked, they are taken out with a spoon, and then lowered to the bottom of the dishes. Cocktail berries are used only for transparent drinks, otherwise it will simply not be visible and its presence loses all meaning.
Citrus peel
To decorate drinks often use burnt orange peel. To do this, cut a small piece of the skin and heat it over an open fire, you can take a lighter for this. Due to the presence of essential oils, the zest ignites for a few moments. After that, it can be dipped in a drink.