Enhance your home bar with these exceptional bar essentials and discover fantastic gift ideas that complement your favorite bottle of spirits or wine. Elevate your mixology game with our bartender’s guide to the best garnishes, taking your cocktails and mocktails to new heights.
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People eat with their eyes.
In this case, they drink with their eyes. Presentation is everything in food & beverage.
I’ve been a professional bartender for a little over 3 years now, specializing in high volume cocktail bars, having worked with cocktail smokers, flame-expressed citrus, espresso machines, and everything listed below.
I don’t believe in subpar customer service.
No matter how busy we were, I have learned to deliver exceptional cocktail quality for every drink I served because:
No one wants an ugly cocktail on their stories.
With my experience, I can proudly inform you on the best cocktail garnishes that I have worked with.
Stock your home bar with these premium ingredients or give
The Gift of Presentation: A Bartender’s Guide to the Finest Garnishes
My guide to the best garnishes for your home bar.
Table of Contents:
Cherries
A non-negotiable staple in every bar.
You can’t make a Classic Old Fashioned or Sex on the Beach without a cherry garnish. As a frequent snacker on these yummy bar garnishes, I can proudly tell you which ones work best with which drinks.
All of which went into my daily Diet Cokes; and I will be ranking them in order of best to worst (in my opinion. Please note: none of these are bad, just different flavor profiles.)
Luxardo: The Original Marischino Cherries
Dark and decadent, these cherries are well worth the price. Made in Italy, these marasca cherries are candied fresh. Almost every high-end cocktail lounge carries this brand because it pairs perfectly in Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, and even Shirley Temples.
Tillen Fams: Bada Bing Cherries
Bada Bing cherries have a sweeter, lighter syrup that maintains the fleshiness of the fruit itself. It feels like biting into a freshly preserved cherry rather than a candied one. These ones are so delightful to eat by themselves, which is my guilty pleasure every day at work.
Made in Italy, these wild cherries are similar to Luxardo Marischino cherries but they are far more tart. The syrup runs fairly light, and the fruit has a softer texture.
Olives
Filthy’s is a family-owned company that creates the most perfect olives and brine for Dirty Martinis and more. Based in Miami, Florida, they are renowned around the world for their high quality ingredients, which are hand-selected and sourced.
Filthy’s products are served in restaurants, hotels, and cruise ships around the world. You can read their stellar reviews in magazines like GQ and Cigar Afionado.
Filthy’s Bleu Cheese Olives are my favorite <3
They are closest thing to freshly stuffed on the market. You can taste the freshness in the quality of the ingredients. I have yet to find a better storebought bleu cheese olive, unless it’s literally from a deli.
So good on Bloody Mary’s, this spicy mix is perfect all on its own.
Filthy’s Olive Brine is so divine. (At work, I always joke that I’m going to stick a straw through the pouch like a Capri Sun drink.)
Citrus
Zero-effort pizzazz
Dehydrated citrus serve a sophisticated Wow factor to tropical drinks, adding an exquisite aesthetic onto any cocktail without overpowering the flavor.
Blue Henry makes an array of dried fruit garnishes to give your drinks that extra flair.
Another low-effort crowd pleaser:
Collin’s Candied Lemon Twists and Collins Candied Orange Twists are sweet and zesty edible additions to your Old Fashioneds, Mojitos, and so much more!
Salt & Sugar Rims
For the Margarita lovers
If anyone knows margarita’s, it’s Texas – where Twang-a-Rita is family-owned and operated, offering a variety of flavored salt rims from Sweet, Classic Lime, to Spicy.
Perfect for Margaritas, Palomas, and Micheladas.
So good, I also wrote about this dedicated brand in my Mocktail Must-Haves article.
(shameless plug, I know)
Edible Flowers
Dainty and decadent decor
Hands on Earth Mixed Dried Edible Flower Petals is hand-picked blend of Marigold, Roses, Cornflowers, Multicolored Violets, and Calendula. These flowers are dried naturally and free from additives.
These are absolutely stunning on top of bubbly champagne drinks. They’re also perfect for adding color to salads and baking.
Edible Glitter
A little goes a long way
Nothing says flair like a pinch of Luster Dust. Though, not technically a garnish since it goes inside the drink, I love it for its beautiful shine and creative possibilities.
Thanks for Reading!
Bartending is one of my favorite jobs that I’ve ever had! Especially when I get to share my expertise with my friends, family, guests, and y’all! I hope this guide helps you in picking the best garnishes for your home bar or as a gift for your favorite cocktail connoisseur.
As always, consume responsibly and thanks for reading!
-Envision La Vida
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