garnishes

Photo: Camilla Salem

More a blueprint for experimentation than set-in-stone recipe, the classic bloody Mary plays nicely with a vast variety of flavors. Generally speaking, there are three ways to enliven the tried-and-true hangover-buster: swap out a standard ingredient for an exotic (or at least novel) one, add bloody good garnishes, or rim the glass with something unexpected. Just remember, as with any kitchen experiment, make sure to season to taste and use your best judgement when pairing flavors.

Novel Mix-Ins

• Change up the liquor: try vodka infused with jalapeño peppers or cucumbers or leave out the vodka entirely and turn to gin, sake, tequila (for a bloody Maria), or even beer.
• Heat things up: experiment with different hot sauces in lieu of Tabasco, like a homemade batch, Cholula, Frank's RedHot, or sriracha. Alternatively, try wasabi or red pepper flakes instead of horseradish or puree in a bit of kimchi.
• Make it vegan: while we rarely leave out a dash or two worcestershire sauce (it's just that good!), its not exactly vegetarian-friendly. Instead, try Bragg Liquid Aminos or a splash of soy sauce.
• Change the acid: likewise, don't even think of skipping something acidic to balance out the flavors. If you're bored by the standard spritz of lemon, try lime or vinegars like balsamic, sherry, or red wine.
• Add spice: savory spices like Chinese five-spice, garam masala, coriander, celery seed, jerk seasoning, and Old Bay are all solid options.

Keep reading for creative garnish ideas.

Have you tried our recipe for ginger simple syrup yet? If so, then you'll notice that you're left with a pile of zesty ginger, softened from simmering away and lightly sweetened from the process. Rather than throw away these zingy "scraps," you should make candied ginger out of it; it's only two simple steps away (really).

1. Preheat your oven to 200°F. Spread the reserved ginger slices out on a silpat or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
2. Pop them in the oven, and cook for two hours, or until dry and chewy.

We love to eat the sugared slices as is but have also been known to stud scones and ginger cookies with finely chopped chunks. It also makes a great cocktail garnish.

I learned something new at a recent cocktail hour as I watched a skilled expert prepare my egg white cocktail. When he finished straining it into the glass, my mixologist added a delicate and attractive flourish that simply made the presentation of his drink.

Here's how he did it: After straining the frothy liquid into the glass, he used a dropper to strategically dab three dots of dark bitters (such as Angostura) in a row. Then, he ran a toothpick through them to string them together, forming a line of hearts. Voilà! Who knew it was that easy? Until recently, I certainly didn't!

Do you have any special embellishments that you add to your signature cocktails?