WAITER, THERE'S A BUG IN MY DRINK!

 I was recently at a bar when I looked down into my drink and part of a blue agricultural stamp on the skin of my lemon garnish was looking back at me. I wish I could say that this was the first time; unfortunately, agricultural stamps and the stickers that say brand names like Sunkist are on most fruit today and bartenders or home bartenders often forget to remove them.

The garnish is too often the neglected part of a drink or a dish; an afterthought. Too many professional bartenders approach garnish preparation as a pesky chore they have to get out of the way so they can make some money and have some fun. Garnishes should have a twofold purpose; one of course to decorate, but at its best a garnish will not only decorate but enhance the flavor or even finish the drink or the dish. I consider the sugar on the rim of a well-made Sidecar not only a garnish but also an ingredient. The classic recipe for a Sidecar calls for equal parts of lemon juice, orange liqueur, and Cognac, but without the sugar on the rim of the glass the sour of the lemon juice would become too prominent. In the case of an Irish coffee I consider the cream an ingredient first but also the only garnish I want to see on that drink; that is of course if it is proper hand-whipped cream and not an aerosol version that turns into an oil slick moments after it is squirted on top of the drink.

SIDECAR

Ingredients

.75 oz Hennessy VS Cognac

.75 oz Grand Marnier

.5 oz fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Prepare a cocktail glass with a sugar rim. Shake all ingredients well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel. 

NOTE: I have strayed slightly from the classic equal parts as in the USA we seem to have less tolerance for bitter and tart flavors in our drinks and I find the above recipe appropriate for a wider audience.

I am not implying that a garnish must always be a flavored ingredient because there are times when a garnish is just so dramatic and beautiful that it stands alone such as a Sonia orchid on a Mai Tai. The two essentials with all garnishes are that they be bountiful, generous (so no slivers of lemon or lime but proper wedges) and that the ingredients be ultra fresh and fancy to begin with. When at home, garnishes can be prepared at the moment the drink is served, but in high volume bars most garnishes have to be pre-prepared but that does not preclude freshness. Proper storage, avoiding over production and remembering a couple key rules can make all the difference:

·         Lemon wedges can be saved overnight if properly refrigerated but lime wedges, wheels etc. will turn brown on the edges and are no longer suitable for use

·         Don’t wash berries until they are ready to use or they will turn bad

·         Buy the proper fruit-- a garnish lemon is thick skinned and beautiful but a juice lemon is thin skinned and not suitable for garnishes

 

MAI TAI

Ingredients

1 ounce Oronoco rum 

.5 ounces orange curacao

3/4 ounce lime juice

1/2 ounce orgeat syrup

Preparation

Shake well with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice.  Garnish with a Vanda orchid if available and mint sprig and a lime wheel.

See you next week …enjoy your drinks responsibly and don’t forget to turn the lights out when you leave.

Dale aka kingcocktail