Garnish trays

The most commonly used version has six compartments, enough for the classics: lemon, lime, orange, olives, cherries and mint. If you work with a more extensive menu, choose a model with more compartments or with deeper inserts. Deep inserts of around 47 cl are convenient for what you get through in volume, such as citrus slices and olives; shallow inserts are better for herbs and fine garnishes you pick up with tweezers, because otherwise you end up digging. Check whether the inserts lift out separately. That is the difference between topping up one insert and taking your whole set-up apart, and it lets you change the layout by season or by menu.

Garnishes are only appealing if they stay cool. That is why many garnish trays have a double bottom or an outer container where you place ice or ice packs; the insert trays sit on top and stay at the right temperature for hours. Put the lids on whenever you are not serving for a moment, because a closed lid keeps the cold in and fruit flies out. Roll-top lids and hinged flip-top lids are the most convenient because you can open them with one hand while holding the glass with the other. Cut citrus only at the start of the shift and refill twice rather than overfilling once; what you throw away at the end of the evening costs more than what you trim in between. For a mojito or a negroni the freshness of the garnish noticeably matters.

Garnish trays come in stainless steel and in impact-resistant plastic. Steel looks more professional and lasts longer; plastic is lighter, cheaper and insulates a fraction better. Whichever you choose, daily cleaning is not optional. Fruit juices are acidic and full of sugar, and residue left behind becomes a problem within a day. Take the inserts out after every service and put them in the dishwasher, as most inserts are suitable for it. Wipe the outer tray with a clean cloth and let everything dry completely before you set up again.

A garnish tray rarely stands alone on the workbench, so here are its logical neighbors. To get the garnish onto the glass, there are the cocktail picks, and to extract the juice, the citrus juicers. The tools for shaking and stirring are listed under cocktail shakers and, more broadly, under bar tools. You can find the glasses it ultimately ends up in under cocktail glasses.