How to Garnish Summer Drinks
Some Creative Ways to Decorate Your Cool Drinks
If you like to entertain out on the patio, you can try some new ways to make your drinks look fun and appealing.
Summer is the time to get outside and enjoy the heat and the sun. It's also the time to get fancy, pretty and flowery. So if you're serving some cold drinks this summer to a group of friends, or just enjoying a frosty one by yourself, why not add a decorative touch?
If you need some creative inspiration, here are a few ideas for garnishing your drinks this summer.
Paper umbrellas – Ok, this one is a little trite, but I still think they are fun and summery. This go particularly well in tropical fruit juice based drinks. You'll need fairly narrow-necked glasses so the umbrella doesn't sink.
Fancy ice cubes – You can do all kinds of things with this one. You can freeze cubes of the same juices as your drinks to prevent them from getting "watered down" as the cubes melt. Most fruit juices can be frozen, and you could also do this with coffee for iced coffee drinks. Or freeze fun things into the cubes, like pieces of fruit or flower petals. Make sure to warn your guests though, so no one chokes on a piece of décor as the ice melts. Or if you don't like the idea of things floating in your drinks after the ice melts, you could use some food colouring to make fancier ice cubes to match your drinks.
Real flowers – Do a bit of research on this one before you try it, to make sure you don't accidentally poison someone. Short-stemmed flowers like pansies can be held up among ice cubes, but longer-stemmed flowers can stand up on their own in your drinks. Make sure they are clean first!
Swizzle sticks – There are lots of funky and stylish stirring sticks that you can buy for your summer drinks. I personally like the ones with rock sugar molded around one end. Great for stirring, and a sweet treat at the same time. Another variation would be to add a swizzle with several pieces of fresh fruit speared on the end.
Slices of fresh fruit – Another way to garnish with fruit, is to slice partly through a slice and fit it on the rim of the glass. Slices of citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes) work particularly well, but you can do the same thing with pieces of strawberry, kiwi or watermelon chunks.
Whipped cream – Well, it's not decorative but it's pretty tasty. You don't have to save the whipped cream for just your hot chocolate. A big dollop will top off a tall glass of iced coffee just as well. Might not be the best choice for a juice based drink, though I suppose it's a matter of taste.
