Decoration of cocktails: design examples with photos, decorative accessories, basic rules and fashion trends

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Even novice bartenders know that preparing a delicious drink is only half the battle. A very important point is the decoration of the cocktail. Such drinks are always met in appearance. The task of the modern bartender is to surprise the client. And for this they have a lot of ways. It is decorations that give 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:

• fruit;
• vegetables;
• berries;
• citrus peel;
• greens;
• whipped cream;
• spice rims;
• sticks;
• umbrellas;
• chocolate plates;
• edible gold petals and more.

Of course, when decorating drinks, you need to use your imagination, but a sense of proportion should not be neglected either. There are cocktails that do not need decoration at all. There are also drinks for which certain standards are established. For example, only an olive is suitable for a dry Martini,nothing else complements it. Cherry is typical for Manhattan, dwarf onion is typical for Gibson.

Classic jewelry

Decorations not only add personality to drinks, but often emphasize their composition. Just like the cocktails themselves, sometimes they are born by mixing, at first glance, completely disparate ingredients. Decorations can combine edible and non-edible items.

There is an International Bartending Association that has approved a list of cocktails with a strictly defined design. But decorations for milkshakes are most often improvised.

Sometimes drinks are garnished just to distinguish them.

For example, "Negroni" and "Americano" look like two brothers. Count Camillo Negroni himself gave a distinctive feature to his drink. He really did not want his creation to be confused with the 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 Americans in Italy. To prepare it, a glass is filled with ice, and sweet red vermouth and Campari bitters are poured into it in equal proportions. Then add soda water to taste. "Negroni" was invented three years later by the Italian himself, in addition to vermouth and "Campari" gin is also added. That is, now the drink does not consist of two equal parts, but of three. Outwardly, they are very similar, it is quite possible to confuse them. That is why fruit for cocktail decorationNegroni is an orange, and Americano is garnished with lemon zest.

The second example is Gibson and Dry Martini drinks. Their main difference is the decor. As part of the "Gibson" gin and dry vermouth nine to one. This drink is poured into a glass, one-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 an olive. The only thing that is squeezed into this drink is some lemon juice.

Historical reference. The Dry Martini cocktail was invented in 1860 by one of the most famous bartenders in San Francisco, Jerry Thomas, on the occasion of the departure of his best friend to the city of Martinez. At first, alcohol was called "Martinez". But then other drinks began to be produced under this name. To avoid confusion, the cocktail has been renamed the Dry Martini.

How to make DIY cocktail decorations

Very often inedible elements are used for such purposes. This refers to the use of straws, spoons, umbrellas, and sometimes even sparklers. These cocktail decorations are usually attached to the edge of the dish.

These decorations are not allowed only in professional bartending competitions organized by the International Bartending Association. Only wooden toothpicks can be used here to secure the edible decorations.

But for novice bartenders, on the contraryit is recommended to use various tricks in order to lure customers to their drinks. It is in this case that there is a unique opportunity to immediately prove oneself.

There is one fail-safe trick. Allow the guest to add the decoration himself. Firstly, this activity is interesting and addictive, and secondly, hardly anyone will criticize the drink, which he himself had a hand in creating.

When decorating a drink, it is important not to overdo it. Remember that not only tastes, but also colors should be combined. And do not make jewelry that is too large, it is very difficult to fix them well, so they can fall at the most inopportune moment. It is unlikely that the client will be happy with soiled things. The effect of the drink will be completely ruined.

It is worth remembering about the auxiliary material. For example, about the substance from which the adhesive rim is made. The most famous of these are sugar and s alt. But no one banned the use of citrus juices, liqueurs and honey.

Don't forget that layered cocktails don't need decorations.

Sliced fruit

Before you start decorating, first of all, you need to carefully sanitize your hands.

It is best, of course, to cut the fruits just before decorating, but, unfortunately, this is not always possible. Especially when it comes to bars that are located in very popular establishments. The bartender simply does not have enough time to cut fruit.

Tip: apple decorations should only be madebefore serving. Figures prepared in advance will definitely darken.

Olives and cherries

In no case should you take olives and onions out of the jar and put them into the drink with your hands. There is a special pick 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 dish. Cocktail berries are used only for transparent drinks, otherwise it will simply not be visible and its presence loses all meaning.

Citrus Peel

Burned orange peel is often used to decorate drinks. To do this, you need to cut off 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 lowered into the drink.