Summary: It can often be easy to overlook cocktail garnishes, especially when you are making drinks at home. But since the first “taste” somebody gets of a drink is through their eyes, a properly prepared garnish can make a big difference. Often, the garnish is also an important flavor ingredient, even if a very subtle one. The lemon twist can be an excellent dual purpose garnish, providing both a bit of visual interest as well as adding citrus oils which can accentuate the drink. Including a wedge of the same citrus that went into the drink, as a garnish, can also be a useful tool for the customer. If the drink is slightly too sweet, the accompanying wedge can be squeezed into the drink to make it a little tarter. Garnishing simply for the sake of garnishing however can sometimes get out of control. You don’t want to over garnish a drink so much that the guest feels like they have to fight through it to get to the drink, or that it is so precarious that the guest has to pluck it out of the drink and set it aside immediately. - Robert Hess
