The Easy Tip For Pairing Garnishes With Your Cocktail

Making cocktails is almost as much fun as drinking them. Whether you're following a classic recipe or trying your hand at something you've discovered in a book or online, crafting a beverage can really get the creative juices flowing — but replicating the experience of a swanky cocktail bar means going the extra mile and dedicating attention to the small details. You may not have the mood lighting, but one easy way to elevate your cocktail offerings is to get serious about your garnish game.

With the abundance of options you can choose from to adorn your drink, from bittersweet citrus to fresh strawberries or candied cherries, you may wonder which garnishes are on the do-not-use list for certain drinks, so you don't risk a garnish faux pas. Fortunately, Daily Meal got answers from expert Cody Goldstein, founder of Muddling Memories and a celebrated New York City mixologist. As the author of no less than four cocktail books, Goldstein's words carry weight when it comes to beverage adventures, and his take on whether there are off-limits for garnishes is simple: "I do not believe there is a right or wrong garnish for drinks."

Cody Goldstein explains that the only real requirement for cocktail garnishing comes down to good culinary synergy. "When I conceptualize a cocktail, we want all the components to make sense together and that includes the garnish," he said. For home bartenders looking to accessorize their creations, these words aren't just helpful, they're totally liberating. With Goldstein's advice, you can focus on the drink you're crafting and its flavor profile, along with what you're hoping to accomplish with your garnish.

If you're clued into the two main types of cocktail garnish you need to know, then you might have an idea of how to select what speaks to you, and what your drink might benefit from. Some garnishes simply add a bit of eye-catching flair, contributing color and a visual boost (take a cocktail umbrella or edible flowers, for instance), while others really add something to the experience of the drink in aroma and flavor, contributing acid, sweetness, bitterness, and other qualities that can either balance or contrast with the cocktail. A piece of fruit or skewered olives can even function as a fun little snack to pair with your drink. 

Fruit garnishes can range from citrus to berries, be dried or fresh, candied or brandied, so it can be a little daunting to make a decision. When asked about fruity finishing touches in cocktails, Cody Goldstein suggests thinking of it in simple terms, as you would with any garnish. "The garnish is a compliment to the drink and should be paired as such," he said.

If you're not sure where to start, think of the way a brandied cherry is paired with an old fashioned, its sweet-tart flavors complementing the woody, caramel and vanilla notes of the whiskey, the baking spice notes of the aromatic bitters, and the slight sweetness from simple syrup. Or, take note of how a twist of lemon lifts and highlights the botanicals of a crisp gin and an herbal, floral dry vermouth.

With Goldstein's advice that there are no wrong garnishes, your imagination can run wild. Making your own DIY dried fruit or brandied fruit is a great way to personalize your drinks, and in terms of presenting your garnish, you can stay classic and spear your fruit with a toothpick, or even nestle them into the ice in your martini side car glass. That might be a good selection if you were entertaining Goldstein himself, who shared one of his go-to cocktail garnishes: "a great olive stuffed with cheese with my martini."