How do I make drinks look as good as they taste?

Presentation in drinks is not decoration — cold glassware, good ice and expressed citrus oils all affect how the drink tastes as well as how it looks. That is why bartenders bother with them.

What you'll need

• Decent glassware (optional)
• Good ice (optional)
• Fresh citrus or herbs (optional)

Step by step

1. Chill the glass.In the freezer, or filled with ice and water while you make the drink. A cold glass keeps the drink cold, which is the largest single factor in how it tastes.
2. Use good ice, and plenty of it.Large clear cubes look better and melt slower. Small cloudy ice from the back of the freezer is the most common thing spoiling a home drink.
3. Match the glass to the drink.Short and heavy for spirits over ice, tall for long drinks, stemmed for anything served without ice so your hand does not warm it.
4. Express citrus peel over the surface.Squeeze the peel skin-side down over the drink to release the oils, then drop it in. It is aroma rather than decoration, and the difference is noticeable.
5. Keep garnishes simple and edible.A twist, a herb sprig, a single piece of fruit. Elaborate garnishes look fussy and get in the way of drinking.
6. Slap herbs before adding them.A quick clap between your palms releases the aromatic oils. Otherwise a mint sprig is purely visual.
7. Pour carefully and fill appropriately.Not to the brim. A drink filled to the top cannot be picked up without spilling and looks careless.
8. Keep the glass clean.No fingerprints or detergent residue. Rinse and polish with a clean cloth — detergent film also kills carbonation and foam.

Tips

• Clear ice from directional freezing is the single most noticeable upgrade to how a home drink looks, and it costs nothing but time.
• A dehydrated citrus wheel keeps for weeks and looks considerably better than a fresh slice that has been sitting out.
• Detergent residue in glasses kills the head on beer and the foam on shaken drinks. Rinse thoroughly.

Common mistakes

• Using small cloudy ice — It melts fast, waters the drink down and looks poor. Large cubes are the biggest single improvement available.
• Adding a garnish without releasing its oils — An unexpressed twist or an unslapped mint sprig is purely visual. Releasing the oils is the point of the garnish.
• Serving in a warm glass — It warms the drink immediately and increases dilution. Chilling the glass takes no effort and makes a real difference.

Questions people ask