garnish IDEAS

HOW TO CREATE

Lemon Twists

Occasionally an experienced barman can cut a lemon twist from a lemon peel, however most prepare lemon twists en-masse. The way to do this is to cut the ends off of a lemon and use a spoon to force the pulpy fruit out of the lemon. You then slice the empty lemon peel lengthwise into quarter-inch thick strips. When called for, take one of these strips and twist it like a corkscrew as you use it to rub the inside of the glass. When you've flavored the rim of the glass, drop the lemon twist into the drink and stir briskly.

Lime & Lemon Wedges

So many drinks call for lime wedges that it is best to have some of these prepared as a part of preparing you bar. To cut a lime or lemon wedge, cut the lime or lemon across the short way and then quarter each remaining half. To serve, rub the wedge around the rim of the glass, squeezing gently, and drop it into the drink.

Cucumber peel

To create a cucumber peel, it is necessary to take some small amount of the fruit within, cutting the peel to be approximately a quarter of an inch thick. The peel should then be curled around the rim of the glass and dropped into the drink.

Garbage
Lime, Lemon, and Orange Slices or Wheels

Where fruit wedges are garnishes, the slices are garbage meant to decorate but not flavor the drink. Because of the shape of these fruit slices, they are also called wheels even though they may only semi-circles. To create a fruit wheel, cut off the ends of the fruit and then slice the rest into quarter-inch thick slices. Cut these slices into halves, and make a thin cut along the grain of the fruit. To serve, slide this thin cut on to the rim of the glass.

Kitsch

Various drinks may also be appropriately served with plastic swords, paper parasols, fireworks, or any other odds and ends. Although men are often embarrased to be served such decorated drinks, we find that almost anything is acceptable on the shores of a tropical island.