To our brains, “flavour” is actually a fusion of a drink’s taste, smell and touch into a single sensation which is why garnish can be so important in cocktail creation. The role of your garnish to accentuate and influence the flavours inherent in your drink by activating your olfactory senses and the changes a garnish can make to “taste” cannot be underestimated. The ‘celery salt test’ is testament to this. Whilst blocking your nose take a pinch of celery salt and place it on your tongue. Unblock your nose and get ready for a wave of extra flavour that is not actually ‘taste’ by definition.
When choosing your garnish for your drink think about aromas that can complement the flavours of your spirit or even fill in the gaps i.e. if you have a sweeter style of drink consider Citrus or even a savoury garnish like rosemary. When using Citrus we recommend zesting the rind and pegging it to the edge of your glass so that the aromas influence your senses with every sip.