Why You Should Always Garnish Your Cocktail (It's Not Just Aesthetics)

The wonderful world of cocktails is a lot older than you might think, with major literature from over 2,000 years ago (namely Homer's Iliad) describing a mixed drink and its garnishes. It seems that as long as there has been alcohol, people have been adding other, related ingredients to the glass. But did you know there are actually practical reasons why bartenders add garnishes to cocktails, and why you should as well at home when you're mixing things up with the golden ratio for friends?

As it happens, garnishes serve a major function that has nothing to do with how they look (although the right ones can certainly add a touch of sophistication to an otherwise nondescript beverage). First and foremost, garnishes add fragrance or aroma to alcoholic drinks (even these easy five-minute cocktails). Mixed into the drink, some garnishes would change the flavor profile of the cocktail entirely (and not for the good); but when they hang around on the side of the glass, the whiff of them, combined with the taste of the drink, blends harmoniously for the perfect sip, every time.

Garnishes also give the drinker some control over how their beverage tastes — and how they experience it. For example, a lime on the rim of a drink, when its juices are squeezed into the martini glass, adds tartness, and it's totally up to the drinker to decide just how much, if any, they wish to put in. Garnishes that are entirely edible — your olives, or your cherries — also help reinvigorate the cocktail's flavor near the end, when the drink has started to dull on the tongue.

Finally, while garnishes aren't all about how they look, they are at least partially about that. They make a first impression before the drinker even takes a sip (and can even influence how the imbiber feels about the cocktail). A wildly garnished Bloody Mary might be the talk of brunch, while anyone looks oh-so-cool standing at the bar, sipping a martini (shaken or stirred, totally your call) with three olives on a pick. Garnishes also provide variation in color and texture, making the drink more inviting and desirable.