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BEHIND THE BAR: GARNISHES
GARNISHES
A focus on what goes on top— rather than in— your cocktails. BY ASHLEY BRAY
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Bar Business Magazine
T
he saying goes that you eat and drink with your eyes first, and that’s just one reason why the right garnishes are so important when crafting a cocktail. “I think it completely dresses up any cocktail and just makes it a lot more attractive,” says Mark Traaseth, national sales manager at Stone Gate Foods, which makes Tater Kegs. “People like to look at a drink and see the elegance of it.” Kevin O’Brien, president/owner of Frescolive—a maker of fresh, ready-toserve olives for garnishing—sees garnishes as playing a supporting role.
October/November 2020
“The garnish is the character actor to a cocktail. It has to be subtle, yet add to the leading booze in the cocktail,” he says. “Taste and color are all very important characters of a supporting role in all cocktails.” Katherine Foley, brand manager at Infinium Spirits, a family-owned spirits company including brands like Seagram’s Vodka, believes garnishes can add both taste and color to a cocktail. “As the final touch and usually the last step in the method of crafting a cocktail, a garnish plays two roles: adding color and a decorative visual to the drink, as well as enhancing flavor,” she says. “That said, the importance of barbizmag.com
Photo: Stone Gate Foods.
Over-the-top garnishes are trending.
