Gone are the days of boring cocktails with no flair!
In Miami, it’s not just about what’s in the glass—it’s what’s on top, around, and all over it. Garnishes can go way beyond a simple lime wedge. Think fortune cookies, fresh herbs, and even full-on teapots.
Mixologists and bartenders across the city are proving that a creative garnish can take a cocktail from good to unforgettable.
Photo by Salar Abduaziz
Cocktail: Blush
Garnish: Hibiscus Flower, Sage Leaves, Black Sesame Seeds
Where to Find It: Oro
Savor Oro’s Blush cocktail, a fusion of Planetary Rum 3 Star, Skinos Mastiha, cucumber, melon, Rooh Afza and lime. Delicately floral with a touch of intrigue, this vibrant libation strikes the perfect balance between playful and sophisticated. But the garnish?
Hibiscus, fresh sage, and black sesame seeds. The flower is a total photo star, the sage smells like it was just plucked from a garden, and the sesame adds a little edge. Proof that garnishes aren’t just decoration—they set the whole vibe.
Photo by Komodo Miami
Cocktail: Fortunes Told
Garnish: Fortune Cookie
Where to Find It: Komodo Miami
Komodo’s Fortunes Told martini comes with a built-in party trick. Fortune cookie–infused and topped with an actual fortune cookie, this drink gives you a sip and a snack.
Crack it open, read your fortune, snap a pic—it’s interactive, nostalgic, and Instagram-ready. Who knew a garnish could be half the fun?
Photo by Bakan
Cocktail: The Wall
Garnish: Miniature Wooden Ladder, Tiny Figurine climbing it
Where to Find It: Bakan Wynwood
The Wall at Bakan is already a stunner—mezcal, pineapple, charcoal, agave, and lime shaken into this smoky-sweet cocktail with a moody gray glow. What makes it unforgettable, though, is the garnish: a miniature wooden ladder with a tiny figurine scaling its rungs.
This playful, narrative-driven detail transforms the drink into a piece of art, tapping into the rising trend of theatrical, story-inspired garnishes. It’s not just a cocktail—it’s an experience that invites guests to pause, snap a photo, and savor the creativity before the first sip.
Photo by Hakkasan Miami
Cocktail: Chinese Mule
Garnish: Starfruit
Where to Find It: Hakkasan
Hakkasan’s Chinese Mule is a zippy mix of vodka, sake, lime, cilantro, and ginger, but it’s the garnish that makes you do a double take. Instead of the usual lime wheel, it comes topped with a slice of starfruit. Shiny, tropical, and shaped like a star, it turns the cocktail into instant eye candy. The fruit offers instant visual appeal while aligning with the growing trend of using exotic, globally inspired garnishes. Sometimes the simplest switch-up can make a drink feel like a whole new adventure!
Photo by Michael Pisarri
Cocktail: Little Piggy
Garnish: Pork Belly
Where to Find It: Beauty & The Butcher
The Little Piggy at Beauty & The Butcher doesn’t just come with a garnish—it comes with a whole snack. This smoky bourbon-and-rye cocktail is rich with fig, port, and bitters, then topped off with a juicy square of pork belly. Yep, you read that right: pork belly on your drink.
The garnish doubles as both flavor enhancer and edible indulgence, leaning into the trend of savory, culinary-driven cocktails. By incorporating ingredients typically reserved for the kitchen, bartenders blur the line between bar and table, offering guests an interactive, sensory-rich experience that satisfies both appetite and curiosity.
Photo by Libby Vision
Cocktail: Tea for Two
Presentation: Served from a Teapot
Where to Find It: Gekkō
At Gekkō, the Tea for Two cocktail transforms happy hour into a ceremony. Made with Ketel One Vodka, pineapple jasmine tea, and orange blossom honey, the drink is presented tableside in a sleek teapot and poured into delicate glass teacups. It’s playful, shareable, and totally camera-ready—because sometimes the vessel is just as fun as the drink inside.
Photo by American Social
Cocktail: PB&J Old Fashioned
Garnish: Mini PB&J Sandwich
Where to Find It: American Social Bar & Kitchen
The PB&J Old Fashioned at American Social is childhood nostalgia with an adults-only twist. Crafted with peanut butter, Maker’s Mark, strawberry preserves, and black walnut bitters, the drink is topped with a miniature peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
The garnish is more than a clever nod to the flavor profile—it’s part of the broader trend of nostalgia-driven cocktails that blur the line between childhood favorites and grown-up indulgence. Playful, unexpected, and undeniably photogenic, it turns a timeless sip into an instant conversation starter. Basically, it’s happy hour and recess rolled into one.
Photo by KAPOW
Cocktail: The Geisha’s Wake-Up Call
Garnish: Papercone filled with Coffee Beat Candy
Where to Find It: KAPOW
KAPOW’s Geisha’s Wake-Up Call is an espresso martini with a little extra drama. It’s made with Skyy Espresso Vodka, Cafe Borhetti, Subculture Espresso, Morning Wood Bitters, and a hint of vanilla—and then it gets crowned with a papercone full of coffee beat candy.
Think of it as caffeine and candy in one sip. Sweet, bold, and totally photo-ready, it’s the kind of garnish that wakes up both your drink and your Instagram feed.
Photo by Mayami
Cocktail: Old Fashioned
Garnish: Chocolate Balls Candy
Where to Find It: Mayami Wynwood
Mayami Wynwood’s Old Fashioned is classic with a sweet twist. Dark rum, simple syrup, cacao liquor, chocolate and angostura bitters, and a hint of orange peel come together in a rich, smooth sip—then it gets topped with chocolate balls candy.
It’s like dessert snuck into your cocktail, adding a playful, snackable garnish that gives this classic a chocolatey, modern twist!
The post 9 Cocktails with Next-Level Garnishes appeared first on Chilled Magazine.
Source: Mixology News
