The finished drink should be the star, nicely balanced with great flavour, but the accessories can sell the drink on visual appeal alone! Consider every aspect of the beverage you are creating from what’s in it, what it looks like to the consumer, what emotion you want it to evoke, and who it will appeal to based on the description and visual.
-
Always look in the pantry first to see what SKU’s you can utilize for more than one finished product. For example, a simple sprig of mint, basil or rosemary can add freshness and a nice light aromatic to any drink. Additionally, adding a slice of cucumber to a tea or cocktail also evokes freshness.
-
Straws are one of the fastest growing garnishes right now; multi colored, stripes, poka-dots, just about anything you can imagine. A great straw or two can not only enhance the drink’s appearance with a pop of color, but can also set the mood or the tone of the drink.
-
The glassware plays an important role as well! A very popular drinking vessel is the “Mason Jar”. This has evolved from a classic glass into a plastic option, a handled jar with straw, a trendy cocktail glass and even non-alcohol kids drink cup. These are great for punches with bourbon or “Moonshine” and for adult tea cocktails. I also like to do agua frescas, lemonades and teas in them.
- If you don’t have any of that, the glass can be decorated in a really simple way, with a nice ribbon for example.
