Candy is Dandy, Liquor is Quicker

Thursday, June 18, 2009


Candy drink garnishes have been popular for some time. A few years ago, bar chefs experimented with Pop Rock drink rimmers, and fellow bartenders took off running with creative candy garnishes.

In honor of National Candy Month, here are some creative ways to garnish drinks at your next cocktail party…

· Add a gum ball to a glass of champagne. It’s a grown up version of adding Jolly Ranchers to Zima (RIP Zima).
· I LOVE the look of rock candy on a stick. Place it horizontal over the rim of a martini glass.

· This can be tricky, but at Valentine’s Day, add a Hershey Kiss to the top of a martini glass. To balance the Kiss, you may need to chisel it a little bit.

· For Easter, you can float a Peep on top of your beverage.
· Garnish a crème-based drink with a sugar cut out cookie, like a star, heart or dress.
· Put Red Hots into a cinnamon-flavored drink. And of course, garnish a peppermint drink with a Peppermint Patty.
· Any stick-like candy, like Twizzlers, make a fun garnish in a tall glass.
· Add a blow pop to a high ball glass.
· During the holidays, add a candy cane to a Irish coffee drink
· For blue drinks during the summer, add in some gummy fish.
· Garnish peach-flavored drinks with those yummy peach rings. Slice the ring so you can hang it off the side of a martini glass.
(Sources/images: bleucotton.com, flickr, )