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.

Garnish only stays appealing if it stays cold. That is why many garnish trays have a double base or an outer tray you fill with ice or cooling elements; the inserts sit on top and stay at temperature for hours. Put the lids on as soon as you pause between drinks, because a closed lid keeps the cold in and the fruit flies out. Roller lids and hinged flip lids work best because you can open them with one hand while the other holds the glass. Cut citrus only at the start of service and top up twice rather than overfilling once; what you throw away at the end of the evening costs more than what you cut fresh along the way. For a mojito or a negroni, the freshness of the garnish audibly counts.

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 is rarely alone on the workbench, so here are its logical neighbours. To get the garnish onto the glass there are the cocktail picks, and to get the juice out the citrus presses. The kit for shaking and stirring is with the cocktail shakers and more broadly at the bar tools. The glasses it all ends up in are among the cocktail glasses.