Martini & Cocktail Garnish Board

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Garnishes take any cocktail or martini (alcoholic or not!) to the next level, so I made this beautiful fresh garnish board! It’s super versatile and it makes big batch party cocktails super easy for guests to tailor drinks to their tastes. Bonus points for serving cocktail skewers on the side.

P.S. you know how i always tell you to separate similar colors? Here I keep them together to give this board a really beautiful color blocking effect!

For more ways to tailor your drinks, check out my Champagne Cocktails, Bloody Mary Board, Citrus Flower Ice Cubes, and Frose Popsicles. Find my other cocktail recipes here!

How to Garnish a Cocktail/Martini

• Grapefruit, halved and thinly sliced

• Blood oranges, thinly sliced

• Navel oranges, halved and thinly sliced

• Lemons, thinly sliced

• Lime wedges

• Cucumbers, sliced and shaved into ribbons

• Pearl onions

• Green olives with pimentos

• Jalapeños, sliced

• Maraschino cherries

• Grapefruit peel

• Orange peel

• Lemon peel

• Dried blood orange slices

• Fresh mint

• Fresh basil

• Fresh rosemary

• Rimming salt (I like to mix it with citrus zest!)

Directions

• Add the rimming salt to a shallow bowl and place on one side of the board. Add the olives, onions, cherries, jalapeños, and citrus peels to separate small bowls. Add the bowls with citrus rinds around the bowl of rimming salt in rainbow color order. Space the remaining bowls out on the board (also in rainbow color order).

• Add the grapefruit slices, blood orange slices, dried blood oranges in a single row around the edge of the board. Add a layer of orange slices in a single row inside the grapefruit and blood orange. Then add the lemon slices inside the orange slices in a single row. The lemon slices should nestle up against the bowls with the rinds.

• Add the sliced cucumbers to the remaining empty edge of the board. Fill in the holes with the cucumber ribbons, lime wedges, and mint. Nestle the basil and rosemary between the bowls. 

Cocktail Garnish Ideas

When it comes to rules, I prefer to throw them out the window and let flavors rule the day! Of course there are some cocktail classics you can learn a lot from, but don’t let it stop you from trying things you like. 

Wedges – In cocktail speak, this refers to the sliced citrus. Really you can’t go wrong with citrus, but they’re ideal for juicy cocktails and wine spritzers. If you’re drinking tequila or gin, reach for lime or grapefruit. Vodka? Go lemon or grapefruit. Brown liquor like whiskey goes best with orange.

Twist – This is the name for shaved rind that’s expressed when squeezed and added to a drink. You’ll most commonly find these in spirit-heavy drinks, like a vodka martini with a lemon twist. An old fashioned or cosmopolitan with an orange twist.

Onions – The most classic use of onions is in a gibson. Traditionally it’s made with gin, vermouth, and, of course, onions. These savory garnishes go best with clear liquor like gin or vodka.

Olives – You’ll know these best for going in a martini! The salty flavor pairs perfectly with a dry or botanical gin.

Cherries – You’ll find all kinds of cherries–fresh, Luxardo, maraschino–in all kinds of drinks. So free reign here! They go beautifully in most liquors, but I especially love them in bourbon and whiskey drinks. 

Herbs – Let the flavor guide you! Savory rosemary and basil go beautifully in clear liquors, like gin and vodka, whereas mint goes best in the sweeter brown liquors like rum and bourbon. 

Salt rims – Perfect on a juicy, acidic cocktail like a paloma or margarita–both tequila! You can also try a sugar rim, which goes well on with most mixed drinks. 

Cucumber – Classically, a cucumber goes in a botanical gin martini, but its such a mild and versatile veggie you can put it in most clear liquor based drinks! Especially for an added hint of refreshment. A lot of these drinks get called “coolers” or “refreshers.”

Jalapeños – Add it for a kick, like in a spicy marg! Like cucumber, it’s best in clear liquor dinks. UNlike cucumber, jalapeño (or any chili) will be a dominant flavor, so keep that in mind!

How To Make A Cocktail Garnish Board Video

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Types of Martini Glasses

When it comes to martinis, there are a few types of glasses to consider:

Classic Martini – these are the conical ones you usually see! Sometimes they’re even cubical.

Stemless – these have the same conical shape, but instead of a stem they have a thicker bottom for stability

Coupe Glasses – you probably know these for champagne, but they are also great for martinis! They have a similar shape but are more rounded.

Nick & Nora – these classes look like a cross between a wine glass and a coupe glass and they’re used for a lot of classic cocktails.

Create a Rainbow for your Cocktail Garnish Board

With any board, I almost always suggest separating similar colors. But here, I kept all the greens together! And used the different colored citrus to create a fruit rainbow. I always start with the darkest, reddest citrus on the edge and get lighter, yellower towards the center. Then the yellow meets the green, and voila! 

Show Me Your Garnishes

I hope this post inspires you to make this board. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the spreads you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share! 

And, if you liked this recipe, please rate and review.

Photos by Haley Hunt Davis of Salt Worth Creative. Food styling with Ryan Norton.