How to Make Your Cocktails Look Pretty

What makes a good cocktail? Sure, the taste and using the best quality ingredients, but a great cocktail is more than just a great tasting drink. That’s right, a great cocktail is about the whole drinking experience.

In other words, when you sip a cocktail, you’re not just tasting it—you’re also experiencing it and savoring it with your eyes and nose. After all, we’ve all been at a bar, seen someone order an impressive looking drink, and immediately asked the bartender, “What’s that?”. So, with that in mind, we’re going to look at some simple ways you can make a good drink a great drink from garnishing to the choice of glassware.  

“I believe that a garnish should do one of two things it should either represent what is happening in the glass or it should bring an improvement to the drinking experience,” says Rico, Bartender and Absolut Global Brand Ambassador. 

The importance of ice in your drink 

A great–looking drink starts with the first ingredient – Ice. Yes, ice is important if want to take your cocktail to bar-level standards.  

“The ice is going to dilute, melt and become part of your drink. It’s a major ingredient in all your cocktail,” explains Rico. And just like in cooking, the better the ingredient, the better the dish. 

First thing’s first, you don’t want to just use the ice from your freezer. You want your ice to be as pure as possible. When you look at a good piece of ice, it should be crystal clear.  

There are various ice cube makers on the market that produce perfectly transparent ice cubes (read: pure water) ideal for cocktails. These Ice Cube makers purify water by naturally eliminating air and impurities. As the water freezes, it cools properly evenly, pushing impurities downward into a separate compartment and leaving the ice cubes crystal clear. 

But if you don’t want to buy an ice cube maker, you can just use a cooler that you have at home. That’s right, you can just fill a cooler with water and then freeze it with the lid off. As Rico explains, “The reason why you freeze it with the lid off is because, as it freezes from the top, the impurities get pushed all the way down. None of that nastiness is going to be in your drink as your drink starts to melt.” 

Be sure to watch the video to see Rico make the cleanest, clearest ice cubes. 

Once you’ve got your perfect, pure ice cube, it’s time create crushed ice. Cover your ice pieces with the tea towel and, using a heavy-based pan, start smashing the ice to break it into smaller pieces. And voila! Drop those into your glass and you’ve got some seriously nice ice in your drink.  

Aroma is part of the drinking experience
If you’re a fan of Mojitos, you’ll know that fresh mint leaves a key ingredient. But as Rico explains, “The flavor of the mint actually comes from the mint sprig that’s next to the straw because aroma is eighty percent of flavor and mint is nothing more than an aroma.”  

That’s right, aroma is also a huge part of any cocktail drinking experience. In fact, taste and smell go hand-in-hand. Don’t believe us? Rico recommends trying the following test at home: 

1. Take a mint leaf and screw it up. 
2. Put the mint leaf on a spoon with some sugar and stick it into your mouth.
3. Now hold your nose. When you’ve got the mint and the sugar in your mouth you will not be able to taste the mint –you will only be able to taste the sugar. 
4. Now, let go of your nose and you’re going to get all that mint flavor suddenly hitting your taste buds.  

Why? “That’s because mint is an aroma and without that mint sprig next to your straw, you’re just purely not going to taste the mint in a Mojito,” explains Rico.  

So, to really get the most out of your mint and to really work with the aromas, when you’re making a Mojito, drop a few mint leaves directly into your glass first and then add some crushed ice. Next add the mint sprigs in then top up with more crushed ice. Take a spoon and give it a little muddle. This will make your drink look prettier. To finish, top off a more crushed ace ice and then add a splash of soda water. Next, take your straw and make sure it’s placed directly next to the mint sprig.  

Now, if you happen to be making a Lime Mojito instead of a regular Mojito, place a lime wedge on the side of the glass to signify that it’s a Lime Mojito. It’s a simple trick that delights the eyes, nose, and taste buds.  

A Lemon Wedge or a Lemon Wheel? 

We’re now going to look at lemon garnishes, and what better cocktail to demonstrate this than the Absolut Lemon cocktail? Absolut Lemon may be a simple two-ingredient drink, but it’s bursting with flavor and aroma. 

Once you’ve made your Absolut Lemon drink, garnish with a lemon wedge.  

One popular technique is to cut the lemon lengthwise. This gives you large and long wedges, perfect for garnishing drinks or adding a substantial burst of citrus flavor to dishes. 

Rico, however, prefers a different approach for his lemon wedges. He cuts the lemon in half, creating half-moon shapes. This method not only looks elegant but also makes it easier to squeeze out more juice. The segments break naturally this way, allowing you to extract the maximum amount of juice with minimal effort. 

After adding your lemon wedge to your Absolut Lemon drink, why not elevate it even further with the aroma of Basil? If you’ve got a basil plant at home, simply snap off a sprig and place it in the drink so it stands in the ice, popping out of the glass. Remember, as Rico says, “Herbs are an aroma, so you want to make sure the straw is directly next to the garnish.” 

The fresh basil aroma beautifully complements the bitter lemon, while the taste is elevated by the smooth flavor of Absolut Vodka.  

Shake it how you wanna make it
We’re now going to look at how different shaking techniques can make your drink look different. To demonstrate this, you’ll see in the video that Rico makes three different versions of the Amaretto Sour.  

Firstly, to get a good foamy head on your Amaretto Sour, most bartenders use egg whites. Watch Rico show you how to separate the whites of the egg from the yolk.  

The first technique he uses is the classic dry shake. This means shaking without any ice. Once you’ve added all your ingredients, this initial shake with the egg whites will create a luscious foam as it emulsifies the ingredients. Once you see that beautiful foam forming, it’s time for the wet shake. Add some ice cubes and shake again to chill the drink. When the shaker feels nice and cold, pour the mixture directly into your cocktail glass. This will give your drink a really nice, foamy head. 

The second technique is what’s called a reverse dry shake. After adding all your ingredients except for the egg whites, fill your shaker with ice and shake it until the shaker is nice and cold. Now add the egg whites and continue shaking. You’ll notice a nice froth forming, with the egg whites creating those lovely bubbles. Next, strain the mixture into a cup and discard the ice. Now, it’s time for the dry shake to thoroughly emulsify everything. You’ll see just how much more air and volume you get from this reverse dry shake technique. Now that is one creamy head! 

Last but not least, Rico makes a third Amaretto Sour, this time without any without any egg whites and using a wet shake technique. Without the egg white, you’re not going to get the luscious, creamy head and it’s not going to look as impressive. Which leads us to our next point… 

But before we get to that, if still want to get a foamy head on your drink but don’t want to use egg whites, you can use aquafaba instead. “Aqua, what?”. We’ve put together an article explaining all you need to know about aquafaba. 

Choosing the right glass
Continuing from above and making different Amaretto Sours with and without a foamy head, since the version without egg white lacks that signature foaminess, it’s going to look odd in a cocktail glass. Rico suggests serving your egg-free sours in a Rocks Glass for a more fitting presentation. 

 “Do it straight up. Make it simple. Serve it on the rocks. It will have slightly different texture and mouthfeel but it’s still gonna taste exactly the same – like an Amaretto Sour,” says Rico.  

This brings us to our next point – your choice of glassware can also make a world of difference to the overall drinking experience. 

If you use the reverse dry shake technique, you’ll achieve a much thicker, more luxurious foam on top of your drink. This results in a nicer, thicker head that enhances the overall presentation. You should choose a glass that accentuates it, such as a coupe or a cocktail glass, which allows the frothy head to shine and adds an elegant touch to your drink.  

While you’re here, check out our article on different glassware for your cocktails. 

The right garnish for the right glass 

Once you’ve decided which glassware is most appropriate for your cocktail, it’s now time to bring it all home with the right garnish. 

For the dry-shake version of the Amaretto Sour, Rico suggests garnishing it with a simple cherry, which you can pop directly in the middle of your drink. “The cherry is gonna sink down, give you a nice little treat at the bottom, and it still looks super pretty on top with that nice foam.” 

For the reverse shake version, since there’s so much foam, a popular way to garnish is to create some artwork on top of the drink. Add three drops of Angostura Bitters on top of the foam. Then, using a toothpick or cocktail stick, gently drag the bitters through the foam to create lines, swirls, or even heart shapes, adding an even more visually appealing touch to your drink. 

For the no egg-white version, which is without foam and served in a rocks glass, Rico recommends garnishing with a lemon peel. Release the oils into your drink by twisting the peel before dropping it into your glass. Finish by adding a fresh cherry on top. 

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So, there you have it. By treating each drink as unique and considering its elements—from aroma to glassware to garnish—you can elevate your cocktail game to new heights. Here’s to making a good drink a great drink!  

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