It took only a few years in the late 1990s for it to girdle the globe. Arguments over which garnish best suited a Martini-an olive or a lemon twist-suddenly seemed quaint once this brassy refugee from the hors d’oeuvres platter arrived. One could say the blue cheese-stuffed olive cut a similarly forceful arc through the American bar some 20 or so years ago. The culprit was never caught, but the police dutifully filed a report, noting one salient detail: the projectile was a jar of blue cheese-stuffed olives. John’s Lutheran Church in Somonauk, Illinois, was shattered when an unseen vandal threw an object through one of the church’s stained-glass windows.
She is based in Toronto and holds a Wine & Spirits Education Trust Level III qualification.On a day in December last year, in the early morning hours, the peace inside St. Kate Dingwall is a freelance writer whose work focuses on food, drinks, and travel. “When all else fails, handwash carefully in soapy water, then soak in sanitizer according to directions and dry.” “This can be challenging, but I've found that mesh dishwasher bags can do the trick if the mesh isn't too wide,” says Caporale. Consider adding cherries to your old-fashioned or savory options, like pickles, cheese cubes, jalapeño, bacon, and more to a bloody mary. Many drinks that require garnishes can benefit from a cocktail pick.
What other drinks can you garnish with a martini pick? Olives are the obvious answer here, but if you’re thinking of martinis, you can also garnish with a lemon twist or pickled onion depending on how you prefer it to be served. Do you want a show-stopping cocktail pick that makes a statement or a more subdued one that lets the cocktail do the talking?įAQs What goes on a classic martini pick? They will chip in your drink and tarnish over time. Avoid lacquered or painted martini picks. With this in mind, you’re going to want a pick made with material that can withstand being submerged in stick liquids. Around 4 inches is a good length for standard martini glasses, but look for longer picks if you enjoy highballs or drinks on the rocks.Ĭonsider that your pick will largely live in your drink. If it's too short, you will have to fish your pick (and any fallen garnishes) out of your drink with your fingers. If it's too long, the pick will awkwardly lean out of the glass. When it comes to martini picks, length matters. For a super versatile option, try the Hay Sip Spiral Straws ( view at Selfridges), which can be used as straw and pick in one. Our top recommendation falls to the Sur La Table Stainless Steel Martini Picks ( view at Sur La Table), due to the sleek design and ease of cleaning. This way, one is under the surface-in the drink-adding flavor and one is above the surface-out of the drink-adding visual appeal.”įor all you martini lovers, opt for one of the following martini picks to help take your happy hour to the next level. “So for martinis, I always use two of whatever the garnish is (olives, cherries, cocktail onions, etc.) and place them on the pick so that they're touching each other and at a level where the liquid in the glass falls right between them. “My guiding principle for garnishes is that they should make a drink both look better and taste better,” Caporale says.
So, he reaches for a martini pick, a tool that doubles as a way to garnish a drink and stir a cocktail. “I don't like having to fish around in my drink to enjoy the garnish or waiting until the drink is finished and getting an olive in the face as it falls out on the last sip,” says Anthony Caporale, director of spirits education at the Institute of Culinary Education.
A martini pick is a supremely underrated bar tool.