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Grand Garnishes
A garnish says one thing, "I'm an awesome drink!" They don't take much time to fix up, but they transform an ordinary sip into a spectacular, 'I think you're special' event. The list below provides so many options for decorative touches, none of the drinks you serve need ever be without one. The only tip you need to remember is to match the garnish with the flavor of the drink so the garnish doesn't overpower the beverage. Basically, never place an onion swirl in a fruit smoothie.
For Sweet, Fruity, Dairy, or Chocolate Drinks
Berries (sprinkle atop drinks and don't remove the leaf if possible)
Candy cane
Chocolate whipped cream (Whip to form peaks: 2 cups heavy cream, 3 heaping tablespoons powdered cocoa drink mix, 3 heaping tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla).
Chopped, toasted nuts
Cinnamon stick
Cranberries
Crystallized ginger or preserved ginger
Currants
Edible flowers (freeze in ice cubes or sprinkle atop punch bowl or glass)
Fresh or frozen strawberries
Frosted cherries (dip in egg white and then into sugar)
Fruit skewers (pineapple, cantaloupe, strawberries, cherries, watermelon chunks on toothpicks)
Grapes (fresh or frozen)
Jelly beans
Kiwi
Lemon or lime slices, wedges, or twists (twist a slice around in opposite directions and secure with a toothpick)
Maraschino cherries (red or green)
Melon balls (sandwich a mint leaf between two melon balls on a toothpick)
Mint leaves
Nonpareils or sprinkles for confetti look
Nutmeg
Orange slices, wedges, swirls (thinly peel zest from citrus fruit and it will swirl on its own)
Peppermints (whole or crushed)
Pineapple (leave skin on for ppeal)
Shaved or curled chocolate
Shredded coconut
Spinny top (sandwich an orange slice between two maraschino cherries and skewer through with a toothpick)
Star fruit
Syrup (drizzle atop ice cream or whipped cream topped shakes)
Whipped cream
For Savory or Vegetable Drinks
 Black pepper (freshly ground)
Carrot sticks or curls (for curls, peel off ribbons of carrot using a vegetable peeler; soak in ice water for about an hour to curl.)
Celery stick (with fringe still atop)
Cherry or grape tomato
Chopped chives
Cucumber curl
Cucumber wheels (pare the cucumber in stripes and then slice thinly for decorative wheels; or score the cuke with a fork before slicing)
Fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, basil sprig)
Olives (black or green)
Paprika
Scallions or green onions (to twizzle, clean and trim onions; cut 1-inch long vertical cuts above the white onion bulb towards and into the green stalk of the onion; drop in ice-water to curl green ends.
Vegetable skewer (carrot curl, grape tomato, green pepper chunk on toothpicks)
Watercress
* DVO welcomes your kitchen hints and cooking or nutrition questions! Email us and we'll post your hints and Q/A's in upcoming newsletters! *
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