While vodka cocktails are always delicious and go-to classics, how can the presentation be boosted with creativity? Follow along to find out how you can easily make fancier vodka cocktails at home for yourself and your guests.

Why garnish a cocktail?

For decades, cocktails have represented more than an alcoholic beverage. They bring together communities and are a part of celebrations, losses, and much more. It just depends how you dress it up. Cocktails have been a reminder of significant events and people. So it’s not just about the drink. It’s also about tradition, creation, and expression.

A Bartesian cocktail maker can craft premium cocktails quickly, but it’s still important to add to the drink with a garnish. Garnishes can be for added complimentary flavor, a fun appearance, or a luxurious experience. Take some of the best vodka cocktails to the next level by learning from these garnishing tips.

Tips to garnish vodka cocktails

For flavor

Garnishes are a great way to add some unexpected flavor to a cocktail. For those who love vodka cocktails and don’t like to stray from them, garnishes add a new take to keep the cocktail interesting.

The flavor preferences are up to the consumer; we all have different tastes. Sometimes, it can help to experiment with different options, but here are some suggestions to try first.

The garnish should either match or complement the cocktail. For example, a Sex on the Beach capsule is a fruity drink, so to match the flavor, use a sweet fruit like a maraschino cherry. To complement the flavor, try a lime wedge for a sour, but still sweet, addition.

Some options should be avoided though. Not all garnishes work with all vodka cocktails. For example, don’t mix a Ginger Peach Iced Tea capsule with an olive just for the sake of adding a garnish. Those flavors will mix unfavorably and make for an unenjoyable drink.

For luxury

Garnishes can also add a sense of luxury to the best vodka cocktails. They can still be edible garnishes like fruit wedges or olives, but they can also be more decorative for the experience. Adding garnishes for appearance is especially popular when hosting themed events or when impressing guests with at-home cocktails that are better than what they’d find in a lounge.

Before garnishing, first consider the flavor (if there is one), size, and color. All these things can contribute to the overall aesthetic of vodka cocktails. The Cosmopolitan capsule does well with an orange peel as a garnish because of the contrasting colors.

Whatever the cocktail is, depending on the event, it can be garnished with mini umbrellas, straws, flags, or decorations to match a theme. Make sure the cocktail is still easy to drink and the garnish doesn’t get in the way.

Vodka cocktails that are easy to garnish

Screwdriver

The Screwdriver is one of the easy vodka cocktails to garnish. It’s a tart and citrus orange taste that makes for a fun cocktail. Garnish this cocktail with an orange slice, a cute umbrella, or a straw.

Lemon Drop

The Lemon Drop cocktail is a sweet and sour lemon drink, complemented with a sugar rimmer and a lemon wedge. The lemon wedge can be swapped out for another citrus wedge. Because the drink has both sweet and sour notes, it’s easy to find a garnish that goes with either side of the flavor palette.

Apple Pie

The Apple Pie cocktail blends baked apple, fall spices, lemon, and cayenne for the perfect flavor. Because of all the flavors and what we can do with real apple pie, there are plenty of garnishing options. Try cinnamon sticks, whipped cream, apple slices, or a sugar rimmer.

Espresso Martini

The Espresso Martini is a smooth, sippable cocktail with notes of rich and creamy espresso and bold coffee liqueur. As a coffee-flavored cocktail, this drink can be garnished with similar things you would add to a regular coffee to make it fancy. The Espresso Martini goes well with espresso beans.

The vodka martini

A vodka martini is classified as a martini when it’s made with vodka and vermouth. For a basic martini, shake together vodka, dry vermouth, and ice. Serve it in a martini glass with olives or a citrus peel as a garnish. That’s the basis for a vodka martini, but they can be turned into many other vodka cocktails.

The benefits of using a cocktail machine versus a cocktail mixing glass

What makes a vodka cocktail so easy to make? Is it better to use a cocktail machine or a cocktail mixing glass? The Bartesian cocktail maker was created to make cocktails easier. Instead of cocktail lovers having to go to restaurants and bars and pay high prices for a cocktail they’re craving, the Bartesian makes it possible for anyone to make a cocktail of equal quality and better value at home, at the push of a button.

Using a cocktail mixing glass means the ingredients must still be measured and added, stirred or shaken, and then properly served. That’s more dishes, more ingredients, more cleanup, and a higher chance of an unsatisfying cocktail.

The cocktail machine does the measuring, mixing, and pouring all on its own. The consumer can choose their glass, add the spirit brands they prefer, and garnish the drink however they see fit. We’ve made things easier, and at the same time, kept the integrity of delicious cocktails so there’s no need to pay for them at a cocktail lounge.

We suggest the Bartesian cocktail maker so vodka cocktails can be enjoyed for longer. Now that you know how to garnish a vodka cocktail and what tastes or pairs well together, let the machine do the work, and leave the fun stuff for yourself. With Bartesian capsules, the cocktail is made perfectly with no room for error and you can feel confident about serving quality drinks to your guests or for yourself.