We’re always looking for better, more efficient ways of doing things.
Having dehydrated garnishes on hand will bring simplicity to your cocktail crafting. Dehydrated garnishes include the usual suspects, such as dry fruits like apples, lemons, oranges, limes, dried apricots, dried pineapple, and more. Every step we can take – no matter how small – to make things simpler, more efficient, more beautiful, has a compound effect on our profitability and joy.
Let's explore the benefits to having dehydrated garnishes stocked in your at-home bar.
1. They Save You The Time Of Having To Cut / Prepare A Cocktail Garnish A La Minute.
That’s right, instead of cutting and peeling (often adding an extra 10-20 seconds to your chit time), you get to reach, grab, and elegantly place on top.
2. They Reduce Waste By Ensuring That Every Part Of The Fruit Gets Used (Particularly Citrus).
Let’s use lime and lemon wheels, for example…
Many of the bartenders I’ve seen waste a good chunk of the fruit on either side of their citrus wheels. While the fruit wastage adds up over a shift, each individual piece isn’t quite big enough to juice or to turn into another garnish.
Even if they do intend to save it for juicing later, it usually ends up in the compost or the trash.
It’s not laziness – it’s just the path of least resistance. We all take it, it’s in our nature.
Dehydrated garnishes are a way of providing a positive path of least resistance, while also eliminating waste.
I’ve never seen anyone eliminate waste entirely from their bar, but having garnishes that you can prep ahead of time and that can last up to a year is always a positive.
3. They Look BEAUTIFUL!
Ever heard the expression "people drink with their eyes"? It’s true – the better your drink looks, the more your customers will enjoy them.
Again, using citrus as an example, the dehydration process darkens the fruit itself quite significantly. This can provide a dramatic, intriguing contrast against your drinks, allowing you to play with really interesting color combinations – think foams, or darkly colored combinations of liquids.
4. You Can Dehydrate Anything As A Cocktail Garnish
So let your creativity go wild! It’s a great way to get yourself excited to make or create new drinks. Grabbing a bunch of dehydrated garnishes and throwing some ideas around can really reinvigorate a team, and bring them closer together. After all, variety is the spice of life – so spice it up! (Did someone just say ‘dehydrated chilis’…?)
5. Dehydrated Cocktail Garnishes Last A Very Long Time
Unlike some preserved garnish, dehydrated garnish can last up to a year long as they are stored in an airtight container and a dry place.
6. Dehydrated Citrus Holds Aromatics More Effectively
A looked-over aspect of creating or enjoying a craft cocktail is the aroma. It is the first sense to meet your drink. Finding that right smell and making it last can be tough, but with dehydrated garnishes, it's easy! When you strip the water out of anything, it usually intensifies the remaining ingredients. We’re talking about aromas, mostly – we’ve found that in terms of flavor, they don’t offer much of a boost, but the increased aromas that they impart can be used to a bartender’s advantage (and they are still completely edible, just in case an overenthusiastic patron decides to mow down on one).