Easy and Pretty Cocktail Garnishes (Inspired by Mexico)
March 7, 2023 Marsha Mowers
Canadian Travel News visited Unico Riviera Maya last summer, which should be on anyone’s list to check out if you’re looking for a really chill, upper scale, adults-only retreat. It’s gorgeous and you literally feel relaxed and rejuvenated just walking in the door.
One of the options you have a guest there is to take part in a free cocktail making class, and we highly recommend it. We learned how to make the perfect margarita (more on that in an other post), but what really intrigued us were the garnishes.
Obviously, we went into the kitchen with their cocktail sommelier to find out how they made them – and turns out, they’re actually very easy. Dehydrated lemons and limes. Yep, that’s it.
The thing is, since we visited, we’ve been to numerous events and hotels and they all seem to be garnishing their cocktails with these, so we thought why not share the recipe?
What you’ll need:
We use a dehydrator setting on our air fryer, but if you don’t have an air fryer, just use your oven. Regardless, set the temperature to 200 degrees F.
Lemons, limes – and we went crazy and also used clementimes
Slice the fruit into slices and arrange on, preferably a mesh tray so the air circulates, though you can lay on a baking tray with parchment paper and flip halfway through.
You can sprinkle with salt or Tijan spice for something spicy if preferred, but it’s not necessary.
Bake for about 2 hours at 200 degrees F. Depending on how good you are at slicing, some of them might be ready after 2 hours, while others might need a few more minutes. What you’re looking for is dried-out – you don’t want the fruit to feel “tacky” at all, if there’s any moisture still, put back in for 10 mins at a time. It’s pretty hard to overcook these, but best to keep an eye on them.
Keep in a jar with a lid and serve with your fave cocktails. They look as pretty served in a fizzy water as they do in a cocktail, and give a nice added “ummph.”
About the Author
Marsha Mowers made the move to editorial side of travel after many years working in destination marketing where she represented places such as NYC and Las Vegas. Her experience on “both sides” of the industry has put her in a unique position to provide valuable context to both readers and trade partners. Marsha also serves as Director of Content for TravelPulse Canada
I have done this after our visit to the HardRock Resort in the Mayan with great success.