Garnishers and Garnishes
Luis Ayala
Garnishes, like ornaments, are important tools to capture our attention, to draw us towards objects that, undecorated, would probably not attract us initially. They are also good tools to inspire our imaginations, to make us have thoughts or to experience feelings that would otherwise not be present.
Sugarcane growers and alcohol distillers are not garnishers per-se, since they are actually transforming the raw materials they have into something completely different. one could argue, however, that anything that happens after rum has been distilled (and aged, if applicable), is a form of garnish, since it is designed to attract the attention of the potential consumer. The first example of this is the packaging, where names, bottle shapes, labels and caps/corks play not only a pragmatic role, but also a decorative one.
Many of my mixologist friends tell me that the cocktail components(aside from the distilled spirits) are not garnishes, but rather additional ingredients, just like the alcohol. The combination of all the ingredients -they add- produces something new, often better than the sum of the individual parts. But just like a rum without its packaging, a cocktail also needs to attract the attention of consumers, and what better way to do so than through the use of attractive glassware and garnishes.
However, as Cris Dehlavi wisely points out in this month’s article (pages 14-17), it is easy for a garnish to cross the line and actually tarnish the drink (do you really want cheese or a sausage in your drink?).
So next time you look at a bottle of rum or at a mixed drink, stop for a moment to recognize, analyze and -hopefully- appreciate its use of garnishes!
Cheers,
Luis Ayala, Editor and Publisher of "Got Rum?" magazine