Seven Savvy Secrets for Super Cocktails
By Damyanti
Who said cocktails are all about the layers of flavor, the art of mixing, and how they taste? The cocktails that would get your parties going need to be eye-catching conversation pieces. It is all in the detail: how much attention you pay to dress up your drink may spell the difference between a fantastic cocktail that would set people raving and a merely good cocktail that would languish in the background.
1. Remember, a cocktail is all about balance: the perfect mix between flavors, colors, garnishes, decorations, frostings brought together through killer recipes, with a steady hand and unflagging recall. You have to get the proportion of each ingredient right, whether tangible or intangible.
2.Of course, cocktails thrive on innovation, and perhaps the most important element after the preciseness of ingredients is the novelty of color. Try and match colors to the party themes, use red cranberry as a mix for “vamp” parties, or blue curacao for sea-side themes. Another color trick is layering. Though it requires a little skill and considerable effort, it is totally worth it. You can create a layered cocktail by painstakingly pouring in the heaviest cordial first, and the lightest last, one after the other, over an inverted spoon into the glass. The final look in gradations of color is a work of art.
3. Relax, not all cocktails need be such an effort, there are lots of other ways to get that exotic look for your mix. One of them is to work on the ice. Almost all cocktails need ice, and you can add that extra zing by freezing stuff like edible flowers and petals, mint leaves, lemon peel, or orange bits into the cubes. Different shapes of ice cubes could be nice as well.
4.Garnishes do the trick too, giving the drink that extra oomph: maraschino cherries, sticks, twists, squeezes, olives, mint, and fresh-picked edible flowers. The idea is to know which garnish to add to what flavor: a citrus peel knot on a sharp, crisp cocktail, for instance, while a maraschino cherry or ball of melon for a sweet cocktail. Sprinkles work best for frozen cocktails: chocolate sprinkles on a Mudslide can have other versions. Innovate.
5.Miniature party animals attached to a cocktail glassware might be a success if not overdone, or perhaps umbrellas and colored straws. The idea is not to crowd the drink, just add a simple, stunning touch. Decorations can be as varied as you make them, but make sure they do not become a nuisance by snagging on clothes or napkins.
6.Frosting a glass by freezing it beforehand to give that cool, cool look and feel or by simply wetting the rim of the glass and dipping it in salt are both great options. Choose whatever works for the cocktail, colored salts would of course earn you extra points.
7. Fascinating glassware, everything from test tubes to three-legged glasses would only add to the allure. But do make sure that any wildly out-of-the-ordinary glassware is used only because it enhances the party theme or the look of the venue.
Let your taste and sight guide you, do not be scared to experiment. At worst you would have a wasted drink, but imagine what the right look and taste achieved with your own recipe and garnish can do for your party spirit when the cocktail is a hit. Remember that all cocktails were born because someone had the courage to mix and match. Serve the drink the minute you have poured it so it does not wilt, and enjoy the attention when everyone asks you the secret behind your super cocktails.
