This content is for readers 21+ which you probably are, because hi, it says “mom” in our website name.
Please drink responsibly. Thanks to Drinkworks for sponsoring this post, because how fun is that?
Well hello there! I’m that person who says, I’m going to make cocktails more when I entertain! I’m going to buy gorgeous glasses! I’m going to host the most impressive parties!
Okay, now guess the last time I used this stunning set of stemmed cocktail glasses.
Whatever you guessed I’d say add 5 years or so and a thick coating of dust and you’ll be on track.
Which isn’t to say that I don’t like cocktails. I’m just..kind of .lazy. It’s a lot of work to make sure I have all the ingredients for all the drinks that different guests like.
So on behalf of our sponsor Drinkworks Home Bar by Keurig, which makes serving cocktails so easy it’s crazy, I’m going to share with you my Guide to the World’s Easiest Cocktail Garnishes Ever. In part, because the Drinkworks Home Bar makes the world’s easiest cocktails ever.
And lordy, they are good! (More than I had expected, TBH.) More on that below.
4 Easy Citrus Cocktail Garnishes You Cannot Mess Up, I Swear.
I am being so serious here: these are the cocktail garnishes you cannot mess up. Not one is more difficult than cutting a wedge of lime — and yet! They look a lot cooler, and will make your cocktails look radically pro, and suddenly you’ll be the cool person serving cocktails for the holidays and being like oh, laalala aren’t we all so fancy.
With that…let’s get garnishing!
What you need:
-Citrus
-Toothpicks and/or skewers
-A good knife
-Berries of any kind
No lemon zester, no special order rind-making peeler thingies, no knife skills, no artistic flair with fresh herbs hand-picked at the peak of fragrant perfection.
What did I tell you: Easy already.
Easy Cocktail Garnish #1:
Twisty Lime Peel on a Toothpick
So let’s start with a classic twist of lime…only amped up just a tiny bit.
You can always just cut a wedge of lemon or line and pop it onto the rim of a glass. But it can leave a smudgy mark, and makes that one side of the glass taste like a mouthful of lime.
Instead, try this.
1. Cut a thinnish-to-medium lime crosswise. Do it down the center for a larger round (obv) if you have more oval limes.
2. Slice from the center to the edge, through the rind, making a single perforation. Like dissecting circles in high school geometry, but with far more fun rewards at the end.
3. Slice around the edge of the rind. It does not have to be perfect. Is mine perfect? Nope! Does it matter? Nope!
Now cut through the lime rind on the other end to slice off a piece. I go about 1/3 of the way around, just to give you a little more to work with.
4. Now fold it in half, to release the aromatic oils in the peel. Instead of just plopping it in the drink though…stick a toothpick through it and lean it against the rim. PRO COCKTAIL GARNISH!
If it slides into the drink, eh, that’s okay. Just say to your guests something about “releasing aromatic oils” and you will sound like you do this every night for very fancy people.
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About our sponsor
It’s never been easier to make delicious (for real) cocktails for a party or on a whim — let alone a completely different one for each guest. Enter the innovative. and super fun, dare I say, Drinkworks Home Bar by Keurig.
Just pop in a pod containing everything you need to make your favorite cocktail — besides a glass and a garnish (ahem). The machine automatically recognizes the pod you’ve inserted, tells you the size glass to use, then goes to work adding water and the proper carbonation to the premium spirits and natural flavors in the pods, until your chilled drink is ready a brief moment later.
(Watching it is kind of mesmerizing.)
This is a really simple way to be able to suit all of your (21+ obv) guests’ tastes and preferences. No need to stock up on mixers you’ll use for one person who likes one specific cocktail and then it sits in your liquor cabinet for three years. (Been there.) No need to be like that bartender in the classic movie about the bartender can flip bottles to the tunes of pop songs and stuff. If you can push buttons, you can do this.
Just make sure you have some counter space free, or put that bar cart to good use.
As far as selection, there are over two dozen cocktail blends available right now, from the classics to tropical cocktails, spritzers to sangrias to ciders, with a lot more on the way.
There’s even a fireside collection, with cocktails like a Spiced Punch, Winter Mule, and Pomegranate Elderflower Spritzer, just in time for your winter holiday entertaining.
Something we think is important to note: The cardboard pod tubes are recyclable like any other cardboard product, while the pods will be entirely upcycled through a partnership with Loop Industries (who we love). Your unit even comes with a bag to return your used pods to Loop at no cost to you, and you can order more, free, any time.
Special offer:
For a limited time, our readers can save an extra $100 on the already discounted Drinkworks Home Bar,
making it just $199 (regularly $399) PLUS get free shipping
It’s such a great value and makes a terrific gift idea! Purchase directly through the link here, and the discount will be automatically be added to your cart.
Make sure to check the website to see if it’s available in your state.
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Easy Cocktail Garnish #2:
Double Citrus Wheel Garnish…Triple if You’re Nasty
We all know how to put a wheel of citrus on the rim of a glass right? I mean this is a basic guide but not that basic. But! Here’s how to step things up just a bit if that’s your usual cocktail garnish go-to.
1. Remember our old friend the thin-medium wheel of lime? We’re going to do that again! Only this time, we’re going to do with a lime and a lemon.
Make that beautiful slice from the center through the rind and…stop.
2. Stack the smaller citrus on top of the larger citrus. I must have bought some gigantic lemons this week.
3. Optional: You can add an orange too; just make sure it’s not super juicy or it won’t hold up that well. If it does though? Go you, you cocktail-garnishing superstar.
Shown here: Drinkworks Cosmopolitan
Easy Cocktail Garnish #3:
Fruit on a Stick, Basically
Ready to move onto skewers? I know…you’re clinging to your toothpicks, but trust me, it’s worth it to grab those barbecue skewers that you bought once when you swore you were going to make chicken satay for the kids and you still have a whole pack of them left.
1. Pick a pretty berry with just a little weight to it — a raspberry, a blackberry, or a small strawberry are great. Stab that skewer right through the center. Try a lemon, lime…whatever goes with the drink you’re serving.
You can try a toothpick like I did here, but it will just sink to the bottom of your glass and that’s not all that impressive. That’s when I brought out The Big Sticks.
2. You want the skewer just poking over each side by about an inch or so.
Skewer too long? A pair of gardening sheers should cut it perfectly without shattering the edge. We do not want any splinter mishaps at our celebration!
Tip: If the skewer tips over so that your strawberry is head down (hey, mine did that at first) then just un-skewer it, and stick it again. Only this time higher up on the berry so there’s more weight on the underside to keep it in place.
Physics, friends.
Oh and if you want to try 3 blackberries? Or alternate two blackberries with two limes? YOU CAN DO THAT. There are no rules. Go crazy. Plus, fruit is good for you.
Shown here: Drinkworks Strawberry Margarita
Easy Cocktail Garnish #4:
A Trio of Super Thin Citrus Wheels
This is the easiest of all the easy cocktail garnishes here and yet, it is absolutely my favorite.
Like the others, it’s way more interesting than a wedge of lime on the side and it doesn’t require a single toothpick or skewer or anything more than the citrus fruit and a knife.
1. Slice your citrus into very thin slices.
2. Float three of them in the glass on your cocktail.
I mean, those are the entire instructions. You can’t mess this one up! I guess you could say it’s wheel easy. Ha.
Doesn’t it look gorgeous?? Here’s a closer look:
“You’re like, so pretty.”
You didn’t even have to slice them or twist a rind or stab them or anything. You’re just floating three pretty, translucent pieces of naturally gorgeous lemon or lime or orange or tangelo or whatever wheels in a cocktail and…what did I tell you? Totally pro.
Shown here: Drinkworks Cosmopolitan
Okay, so who’s coming over to visit now? You bring dessert; I have the drinks covered. Probably cosmos.
Thanks so much to our sponsor Drinkworks Home Bar by Keurig for making it so easy and fun to serve cocktails — and for helping us be eco-responsible with upcyclable drink pods. Also, thanks for offering a huge discount to our readers. Take advantage by ordering now.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKhpZM5yQzE]
Cocktails are for adults 21+.
Please drink responsibly, and we know you already know that but we’re saying it again.
