How To DIY, Store And Dry Your Very Own Cocktail Garnishes

With the weather improving, it’s time we dusted off the cobwebs of our outdoor furniture and started to enjoy our gardens once again. The sweet smell of garden botanicals fill the air and the bees are buzzing all around our freshly bloomed plants. Summer is coming ever closer and we will be lighting the BBQ once again, which makes it the perfect time to enjoy your favourite cocktail. This year, we’ve seen a revival in do it yourself hobbies as people want the freedom of creating their favourite tastes but for cheaper. At NB Distillery we want people to think more sustainably, so we encourage people to create their own DIY cocktail garnishes that will add new flavour notes to our popular range of spirits.

What garnish to choose for your cocktails?

Cocktails are a versatile way of enjoying your favourite gins, vodkas, whiskeys and rums. They offer you a wide selection of flavours that are only restricted by your own imagination. Cocktail garnishes are no different and offer the same flavour freedom as your cocktails. Cocktail garnishes complement cocktails well because they can add subtle taste notes to the cocktail, but also can transform your cocktail creation into a piece of art. Cocktails are ideal for vegans as well, as the majority of the ingredients are free from animal products. So if you are hosting a party you will be able to cater to everyone's tastes. 

Here at NB Distillery, we love our cocktail garnishes and here are some of our favourites for you to try:

• Fresh herbs (We recommend that you freshen up your cocktails with mint, rosemary or thyme. Fresh herbs will add new flavour tones to your cocktail and will give it  a classic look. These herbs might be freely available in your garden as well, so you won’t need to pop to the shop to get some)
• Cut out fruit shapes (These garnishes will give your cocktails a tropical look. The perfect fruits to use are crisp pineapples, seasonal apples and seasonal pears. This will help add even more fruity tones to your cocktail) 
• Thin citrus spirals (Add a bit of fun to your cocktails with a thin citrus spiral. You can achieve a perfect spiral by using a channel knife. To create the spiral, you will need to roll out your chosen peel and gently wrap the peel around a straw to achieve the perfect spiral)
• Super thin citrus slices (This is a great garnish for the summer when  lemons are at their juiciest. You can create these by using a mandolin to create extremely thin slices, but do be careful not to cut yourself in the process as mandolins can be dangerous if not handled correctly. Ideal for cocktails that are served with ice)
• Edible floral garnishes (If you want to capture that summer feel, floral garnishes is the best garnish to use. Very Instagrammable, rose, lavender, hibiscus, violas and elderflowers garnishes will add an artistic touch to your cocktail whilst offering subtle floral taste notes)

How to dry and store your cocktail garnishes

Once you’ve chosen your garnish and prepared it, you will need to store it if you aren’t going to use it straight away. This is the easy part. What you will need to do to store your garnishes is similar to drying fruit, so you will need to store your garnish in a sealed glass jar, biscuit tin or freezer bag and keep it in a cool place like a cupboard or pantry. This should keep your garnishes fresh for up to 3-4 weeks.