9 Fancy Ways to Garnish Cocktails and Mocktails

Sugared herbs add gorgeous greenery and a lightly sweet but earthy flavor to your drinks. Combine about one part sugar to one part water in a small pot and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes, then remove from heat. Coat the herbs in the simple syrup you’ve just made, then let them dry out for an hour or so. Finally, roll them around in sugar and you have some sparkly, sugary herbs to garnish your drinks!

Similar to sugared herbs, candied citrus add a sweet touch and an easy upgrade to the classic citrus wedges or wheels. This simple recipe will take you through the candied citrus process, which will take about a day for the slices to dry. But your final product will store well in the fridge for about a month.

You can use dried fruit or dehydrated fruit for cocktails in a number of ways. Dehydrated citrus wheels can float over a large ice cube or rest on the rim of the glass, while dried apricots, mango or other fruit can be speared with a cocktail pick. Buy dried fruit or check out these tips for dehydrating fruit on your own.

One of the simplest ways to upgrade a cocktail or mocktail is to simply toss in some edible flowers. Even just one flower can add elegance to a drink, or sprinkle in several smaller florals for a unique look. You can even freeze edible flowers for fancy ice cubes.

For refreshing drinks that are fruity or floral, a cucumber ribbon is the perfect companion. Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin ribbons of cucumber. From there you can wrap the cucumber ribbons around the glass or weave the cucumber onto a cocktail pick.

Stencils aren’t just for art class anymore. For drinks with foam toppings, you can place a stencil over the glass, then sprinkle over cinnamon, dried fruit powders, colorful sanding sugar or any other edible fine particles.

When in doubt: add glitter! Edible glitter can add a fun, shimmery look to any beverage. Stir it into a drink for a more subtle shimmer throughout the liquid or sprinkle it over foam (or into your stencils!) for extra sparkle and shine on top.

Salt or sugar rims are popular garnishes for drinks. You can simply add some citrus zest to your salt or sugar for an easy upgrade or go all out: Roll the rim of the glass in a thick syrup, like caramel or chocolate, and line with crushed nuts, sprinkles, popcorn, small candies — you name it! Feel free to experiment based on the drink you’re serving.

Cotton candy is playful and nostalgic but it can also create a whimsical look when added to a drink. Place a fluff of cotton candy gently over the top of the glass. Make sure contact with the liquid is minimal to keep the cotton candy from dissolving.