The wonderful world of cocktails is a lot older than you might think, with major literature from over 2,000 years ago (namely Homer's Iliad) describing a mixed drink and its garnishes. It seems that as long as there has been alcohol, people have been adding other, related ingredients to the glass. But did you know there are actually practical reasons why bartenders add garnishes to cocktails, and why you should as well at home when you're mixing things up with for friends? As it happens, garnishes serve a major function that has nothing to do with how they look (although the right ones can certainly add a touch of sophistication to an otherwise nondescript beverage).
(even these ). Mixed into the drink, some garnishes would change the flavor profile of the cocktail entirely (and not for the good); but when they hang around on the side of the glass, the whiff of them, combined with the taste of the drink, blends harmoniously for the perfect sip, every time. Further arguments in favor of garnishing — and how they experience it.
For example, a lime on the rim of a drink, when its juices are squeezed into the martini glass, adds tartness, and it's totally up to the drinker to decide just how much, if any, they wish to put in. Garnishes that are entirely edible — your olives, or your cherries — also help reinvigorate the cocktail's flavor near the end, when the drink has started to dull on the tongue. Finally, while garnishes aren't all about how they look, they are at least.