Cocktail Garnish Board

Step up your cocktail party with this cocktail garnish board! Sliced fruit, rimming salts and herbs unite to create this stunning board perfect for all your cocktail needs!

Why we love this cocktail garnish board

It’s a colorfully stunning alternative to a traditional charcuterie board and your one stop shop for everything cocktail garnishes! It can also serve as a show-stopping centerpiece for your next cocktail party table! 

Key Ingredients for this garnish board

Fresh Citrus

Everyone loves a squeeze of lime, lemon and even grapefruit for their cocktail. Citrus–such as limes, lemons, oranges and grapefruits–are acidic. That acidity can tame the burn of ethanol, while also adding a bright, beautiful flavor to your drink. Slice them in rounds for a beautiful presentation, or wedges if you prefer that! This beautiful Pink Grapefruit Gin Cocktail with Rose Water is first on my bar menu!

Dried citrus

Dried citrus is simple to make and serves as a stunning garnish for any drink! Included on this board are dried oranges, but you could also include dried limes, blood oranges or grapefruit!

Citrus rind spirals

Use this citrus rind peeler to create beautiful spirals that can be added to any cocktail! Simply peel, and create a spiral around your finger, and hold for a few seconds. Voilà!

Dried Pineapple

My favorite of the dried fruits! When pineapple is dried it creates a beautiful flowery look! Place it on the top of a cocktail, and you’ll have the most stunning drink! It makes for a gorgeous presentation. You can make them at home but they’re also available online here. Place one on top of this matador cocktail or a pineapple ginger beer cocktail!

Strawberries

Strawberries add a beautiful pop of red to any drink! I like to either slice them in a fan shape, leave them whole or cut them in cute heart shapes and add them to a cocktail skewer and add it to a strawberry white wine spritzer!

Blackberries

Keep these whole to add to a cocktail skewer or for muddling later in a cocktail! Try this blackberry chamomile paloma!

Pear

Thinly sliced pear makes a stunning garnish! I sliced mine horizontally and cut out the core with a star shaped cutter for some extra interest on this garnish. Slide a thin slice of pear in the glass of this Thanksgiving cocktail or cranberry pear mimosa!

Cucumber

Cucumbers add so much freshness to a cocktail! They also serve as fun garnishes! Slice them into rounds, or in long ribbons for create garnish options like below! Use three thinly sliced ribbons to create this fun skewer. Roll each ribbon tightly and place on the skewer for a beautiful presentation to any cocktail. This cucumber mojito looks refreshingly delicious!

Jalapeno

For those who like it spicy, include some sliced jalapeno right on the board! These are perfect spicy margaritas and so much more!

Fresh herbs

Herbs add a level of complexity and depth to cocktails that are difficult to achieve with bitters or syrups! Include basil, sage, mint or thyme to your cocktail garnish board! I also included cinnamon sticks, which are great for yummy winter cocktails with orange!

Rimming salts

Margaritas are a classic crowd-pleasing cocktail that require rimming salt, but you can use rimming salts for so much more! Included on this board is pink himalayan sea salt, black sea salt and a mix of herbs for a tequila sunrise cocktail, but the possibilities are endless! Tajin is a very popular choice, so include that on your board too!

Simple syrup

Simple syrup is a great way to add sweetness to your cocktail! They’re easy to infuse, and serve as a rimming salt adhesive too! It’s so easy to make at home! Simply combine equal parts water and sugar in a sauce pan. Heat on the stove over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside until cool. Infuse if you’d like by adding spices while the sugar is dissolving.

How to assemble this board

Start with a large board that will hold all of your ingredients. My picks for platters and all things charcuterie can be found here.

Similar to any charcuterie board, start by placing the bowls of rimming salt on the board first. Starting with the bowls acts as an anchor for the rest of the ingredients. Use a variety of sizes to create some interest for your guests. The rest of the ingredients will be built around these items to create an aesthetically pleasing experience for your eyes.

I like to keep the large round slices of fresh or dried fruits on the outside, while keeping smaller items closer to the center to fill those empty spaces.

Try to alternate color if you can. In other words, don’t put lemons and pineapples next to each other!

Pop in fresh herbs between each of the fruit elements on the board to break up the colors a bit.

Additional recipes to try

Peach vodka lemonade– Simple and delicious, This refreshing Peach Vodka Lemonade is the perfect cocktail to cool down on a hot day!

Grilled pineapple mules – This grilled pineapple mule is the perfect combination of spicy and sweet that will transport you to the islands with one sip! 

Beet Ginger Beer Mocktails – These beet ginger beer mocktails are perfectly pink and oh so delicious!

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