A Decorative Flair

While it's true that a drink will get the job done with only its base ingredients, there's something to be said for a fantastic garnish. Whether it's a perfect onion sitting at the bottom of a Gibson, a jalapeno stuffed olive spicing up a martini, or a stalk of celery standing tall in a Bloody Mary, sometimes the garnish really makes the drink.

Drink garnishes complement or contrast flavors. They should either hint at what's in the drink (like mint and lime in a mojito), or bring out flavor in the drink (like salt in a tart margarita).

Garnishes can be simple, like a twist of lemon or lime rind, or complex, like a little "mini meal" of fruit or even savory foods like shellfish. When stocking your home bar, here's some standard garnishes you may like to have on hand to spruce up your cocktails.

Olives: What's a martini without an olive or three? (Never an even number of olives, it's bad luck!)

Limes: Possibly the most versatile garnish. You can use these to garnish basically anything that includes cranberry juice, tonic water, or club soda/seltzer.

Lemon: Go well with cola-based cocktails.

Cherry: Great in fruity drinks like Apple Martinis, also served in Manhattans.

Exotic fruits like kiwi or starfruit can make for an interesting presentation. Swirling chocolate sauce in a martini glass before adding the ingredients for a White Chocolate Martini adds flair. You could even drop raspberries or blueberries into an ice cube tray and fill with water for decorative and interesting ice cubes. Coffee beans float beautifully in creamy drinks!

Rimming the glass of a margarita with salt is a requisite, but don't limit yourself to just that... the rim of a glass is a canvas waiting to be painted! Try cocoa powder, sparkling decorative sugars, finely shaved coconut, or other flavored sugars.

Garnishes are limited only by your imagination!