The Ultimate Guide to Garnish a Cocktail with Cucumber
by Brew Glitter Ambassador Marie Yoshimizu
There are several ways to garnish cocktails. Sometimes you do not need any garnish. Sometimes you express a strip of citrus and drop it into the glass. Sometimes just a maraschino cherry is enough. There are no rules to garnish your cocktail! In these following examples, I will show you how to make a next level Americano, how to make a Gin and Tonic extra refreshing, and how to hit the jackpot with your Casino martini.
Before we start making any cocktails, we always need to prepare the garnish first. Here are some reasons why:
- Let’s say, after you pour everything into the glass, you decide to garnish your cocktail by placing fruits, herbs, and vegetables inside the glass. Now what do you do? It can be hard to put them inside the glass especially when ice cubes are already in there or even more difficult if a carbonated drink has already been poured (this is because it tries to raise everything in the glass to the top). By placing slices of fruits, vegetables, and herbs first, and securing them with ice cubes, it allows them to stay in place.
- It’s always a race between you and ice! Especially when you make a frozen cocktail or one with crushed ice. They melt extremely fast! So, by the time you make your beautiful garnish, probably half of your frozen cocktail or crushed ice will be melted.
- You happened to invent a really tasty cocktail, and you want to garnish your masterpiece with something beautiful. But when you open your fridge, you find nothing...or a rotten lime, or some old and unhealthy mint. Always make sure you have what you need first.
Now that we have established why we need to prepare the garnish first, let's introduce today’s guest…Cucumber! Usually, cucumber is a great ingredient to use for refreshing summer cocktails, but who doesn’t like refreshing cocktails all year around? So, go grab a peeler and start peeling a cucumber! Next we will go over some quick and easy cucumber garnishes.
With that being said, let’s begin with a classic Gin and Tonic with a little bit of a twist. Gin and Tonic is a classic cocktail that everyone should know – for some of you, it even may have been your go to drink in college. Let’s make your college experience a little classier. For Gin and Tonic, I usually use a highball glass because they are uniform and have a simple shape. I’ll show you some of my cocktails using a highball glass. The Second thing that makes the gin and tonic different from your go-to drink in college is that we sprinkle in some Brew Glitter to add that extra shine!
Ok, here’s a quiz! What do you think we need for Gin and Tonic?
Yes. You got it right. Literally, gin and tonic water, duh. Typically, bartenders will start with the cheapest ingredient. If they don’t, somebody didn’t do the homework. However, for cocktails with a carbonated drink, you always do all the methods like stir, mix, build, blend, and such first, before you pour or “top it off” with a carbonated drink. Carbonated drinks are like whatever comes after the parenthesis in math. You don’t usually garnish a Gin and Tonic, but you can. So, let’s stick some slices of cucumbers inside the highball glass. If you are using more than two slices, make sure they don’t overlap.
You'll sprinkle some Brew Glitter in the bottom of the glass. Then add clear ice cubes in the glass to secure the cucumber garnish. Now, pour 2 ounces of Gin.
Before you top it off with tonic water, pour ¾ oz of elderflower liqueur. This is what makes your Gin and Tonic fancier.
Lastly, pour your favorite tonic water. I am not a huge fan of regular tonic water, so I’m using apple tonic water for this one.
To be extra classy, you should sip the Gin and Tonic with a straw! So, grab one and sip away!
Next up is The Americano
The Americano is a 3-ingredient cocktail that usually comes with a strip of orange peel for garnish. The ingredients are traditionally bitter apéritif (Campari or Aperol), sweet vermouth, and club soda. I add in a 4th Ingredient though and you guessed it! Brew Glitter!
The method to make this cocktail is like the Gin and Tonic, “Build”. For this one, I made a wavy cucumber garnish. It is very easy! It is like you are sawing a cucumber with a cocktail pick.
1. First you're going to sprinkle your fav Brew Glitter in the bottom of the glass. Then place a big clear ice cube in a glass, then pour 1 oz of bitter apéritif (Campari or Aperol).
2. Next, pour 1 oz of Sweet vermouth.
3. Lastly, top it off with club soda of your choice and drop an orange peel in.
4. Now you made a classic Americano! But let’s add a wavy cucumber, shall we?
The last drink we are going to make is called the Casino, and it’s a classy and dandy sparkily martini!
First Step is ALWAYS add Brew Glitter! After that is the Garnish! For the garnish, it usually comes with a maraschino cherry, but how about we roll up some cucumber slices and add 2 maraschino cherries (shown below). This cocktail uses the stirring method, so grab your stirring glass and a bar spoon and fill the glass with a few ice cubes first.
1. Measure 2 oz of gin.
2. Add ½ oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
3. Then you pour ½ oz of maraschino liqueur.
4. To add a more citrus aroma to the drink, add a few drops of orange bitters. I like it a little smoky, so I am adding a few drops of smoked orange bitters.
5. Now it’s time for the fun part! Stir the drink with a bar spoon for about 30 seconds.
6. Lastly, grab a julep strainer to strain the drink into the martini glass.
7. Place the beautiful garnish on top and done!
8. Enjoy!
A Tip From Marie!
You always need fresh fruits for cocktails, or your cocktail will look cloudy. Check out this difference of Cosmopolitan I’ve made before with freshly squeezed lime juice and store-bought lime juice.
As you can see, the right one is made with a store bought lime juice, and the left one is with the freshly squeezed lime juice.
Bonus Photos! Here are some of Marie's Cocktails with Cucumber Garnish!
Before we start making any cocktails, we always need to prepare the garnish first. Here are some reasons why:
- Let’s say, after you pour everything into the glass, you decide to garnish your cocktail by placing fruits, herbs, and vegetables inside the glass. Now what do you do? It can be hard to put them inside the glass especially when ice cubes are already in there or even more difficult if a carbonated drink has already been poured (this is because it tries to raise everything in the glass to the top). By placing slices of fruits, vegetables, and herbs first, and securing them with ice cubes, it allows them to stay in place.
- It’s always a race between you and ice! Especially when you make a frozen cocktail or one with crushed ice. They melt extremely fast! So, by the time you make your beautiful garnish, probably half of your frozen cocktail or crushed ice will be melted.
- You happened to invent a really tasty cocktail, and you want to garnish your masterpiece with something beautiful. But when you open your fridge, you find nothing...or a rotten lime, or some old and unhealthy mint. Always make sure you have what you need first.
Now that we have established why we need to prepare the garnish first, let's introduce today’s guest…Cucumber! Usually, cucumber is a great ingredient to use for refreshing summer cocktails, but who doesn’t like refreshing cocktails all year around? So, go grab a peeler and start peeling a cucumber! Next we will go over some quick and easy cucumber garnishes.
With that being said, let’s begin with a classic Gin and Tonic with a little bit of a twist. Gin and Tonic is a classic cocktail that everyone should know – for some of you, it even may have been your go to drink in college. Let’s make your college experience a little classier. For Gin and Tonic, I usually use a highball glass because they are uniform and have a simple shape. I’ll show you some of my cocktails using a highball glass. The Second thing that makes the gin and tonic different from your go-to drink in college is that we sprinkle in some Brew Glitter to add that extra shine!
Ok, here’s a quiz! What do you think we need for Gin and Tonic?
Yes. You got it right. Literally, gin and tonic water, duh. Typically, bartenders will start with the cheapest ingredient. If they don’t, somebody didn’t do the homework. However, for cocktails with a carbonated drink, you always do all the methods like stir, mix, build, blend, and such first, before you pour or “top it off” with a carbonated drink. Carbonated drinks are like whatever comes after the parenthesis in math. You don’t usually garnish a Gin and Tonic, but you can. So, let’s stick some slices of cucumbers inside the highball glass. If you are using more than two slices, make sure they don’t overlap.
You'll sprinkle some Brew Glitter in the bottom of the glass. Then add clear ice cubes in the glass to secure the cucumber garnish. Now, pour 2 ounces of Gin.
Before you top it off with tonic water, pour ¾ oz of elderflower liqueur. This is what makes your Gin and Tonic fancier.
Lastly, pour your favorite tonic water. I am not a huge fan of regular tonic water, so I’m using apple tonic water for this one.
To be extra classy, you should sip the Gin and Tonic with a straw! So, grab one and sip away!
Next up is The Americano
The Americano is a 3-ingredient cocktail that usually comes with a strip of orange peel for garnish. The ingredients are traditionally bitter apéritif (Campari or Aperol), sweet vermouth, and club soda. I add in a 4th Ingredient though and you guessed it! Brew Glitter!
The method to make this cocktail is like the Gin and Tonic, “Build”. For this one, I made a wavy cucumber garnish. It is very easy! It is like you are sawing a cucumber with a cocktail pick.
1. First you're going to sprinkle your fav Brew Glitter in the bottom of the glass. Then place a big clear ice cube in a glass, then pour 1 oz of bitter apéritif (Campari or Aperol).
2. Next, pour 1 oz of Sweet vermouth.
3. Lastly, top it off with club soda of your choice and drop an orange peel in.
4. Now you made a classic Americano! But let’s add a wavy cucumber, shall we?
The last drink we are going to make is called the Casino, and it’s a classy and dandy sparkily martini!
First Step is ALWAYS add Brew Glitter! After that is the Garnish! For the garnish, it usually comes with a maraschino cherry, but how about we roll up some cucumber slices and add 2 maraschino cherries (shown below). This cocktail uses the stirring method, so grab your stirring glass and a bar spoon and fill the glass with a few ice cubes first.
1. Measure 2 oz of gin.
2. Add ½ oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
3. Then you pour ½ oz of maraschino liqueur.
4. To add a more citrus aroma to the drink, add a few drops of orange bitters. I like it a little smoky, so I am adding a few drops of smoked orange bitters.
5. Now it’s time for the fun part! Stir the drink with a bar spoon for about 30 seconds.
6. Lastly, grab a julep strainer to strain the drink into the martini glass.
7. Place the beautiful garnish on top and done!
8. Enjoy!
A Tip From Marie!
You always need fresh fruits for cocktails, or your cocktail will look cloudy. Check out this difference of Cosmopolitan I’ve made before with freshly squeezed lime juice and store-bought lime juice.
As you can see, the right one is made with a store bought lime juice, and the left one is with the freshly squeezed lime juice.
Bonus Photos! Here are some of Marie's Cocktails with Cucumber Garnish!
DON'T FORGET TO TOP YOUR CUCUMBER GARNISH COCKTAILS OFF WITH BREW GLITTER!
LEARN MORE ABOUT MARIE YOSHIMIZU
Marie is a creative self-taught home bartender whos drinks are both beautiful and tasty! She shows her skill she's learned from mixing at home during the pandemic for all to learn! She took her love for drinks, started a hobby of making them, and now is a full blown mixologists! Check out her story and her work by visiting her Brew Glitter Ambassador Page Below!
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