Lemon wheels, olives and paper umbrellas? Please. Cocktail garnishes need not be so simple, and that’s why mixologists are going overboard with bigger and better accoutrements. Still, there are rules to blinging a bloody or primping a punch. “A garnish can’t just be pretty,” says Sheara Rivera, restaurant manager of Station Kitchen & Cocktails. “It also has to add flavor and texture.” Here are four epic garnishes that look good and taste even better.
Queen Mary $15
Tupelo Honey Cafe, 1616 N. Troy St., Arlington; 703-253-8140, tupelohoneycafe.com
The Queen Mary is the same sunny hue as a Minion, because it’s made with roasted yellow tomatoes. That’s not the only reason you’ll do a double take, though. The foot-tall brunch bevvie boasts a dozen garnishes, including pickled okra, pimento cheese-stuffed olives and grilled shrimp. “We wanted it to be a statement,” beverage director Tyler Alford says. “So we tried to throw everything we possibly could into it.” When a Queen Mary is ordered, Alford instructs servers to take the longest walk to the table, so other guests can see it — and suddenly decide they need one.
Pantera, $10
Del Campo, 777 I St. NW; 202-289-7377, delcampodc.com
The Pantera bloody mary — available at brunch or by special request — looks like obsidian, thanks to the spoonful of squid ink mixed into the smoked and spicy tomato juice. “It adds a briny, ocean flavor,” says events and beverage manager Tena
Jahangosha. The Pantera is garnished with a smoked olive, a cocktail onion and a grilled octopus tentacle, which inspires equal parts shock and awe. Spiked with pisco, the drink gets a fiery kick from a dollop of horseradish and rocoto pepper.
Hot Pot Mary, $10
The Source, 575 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; 202-637-6100, wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/39
When executive chef Scott Drewno got engaged in New York City 15 years ago, he and his fiancee celebrated with a cocktail at the legendary Bull & Bear Bar in the Waldorf Astoria. The bartender introduced him to the bloody bull — a bloody mary topped with cold beef stock. As an homage, he created the Hot Pot Mary, which features broth from his dumpling soup. “It cuts the acidity of the tomato and makes it more savory,” he says. The drink, available only during dim sum brunch on Saturdays, arrives with a pork and shrimp dumpling on the side. Seasoned with garlic, Chinese peppercorns and chilies, the crescent-shaped bonus bite adds a hit of heat to your sips.
Milk Punch, $14
Station Kitchen & Cocktails, within the Embassy Row Hotel, 2015 Massachusetts Ave. NW;
202-265-1600, stationkitchendc.com
The brunch-time milk punch is amped up with salted caramel walnut bourbon, sweetened with honeyed maple syrup and spiced with nutmeg. Sitting on top are a pair of buttermilk waffles drizzled with maple syrup and house-made bourbon cherries, which add a little tartness. “It’s a showstopper,” Rivera says. “Pictures are always taken. It’s the most Instagrammed item on the menu.” The goal was to create a moment of interactivity for the guests as they dunk the triangles into the cocktail, like a boozier version of cookies and milk.
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