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Truly the crowning glory of any cocktail. In the
islands they usually consist of pineapple leaves or raw sugar
cane that got away from the rum distilleries!
We wish we could offer those to you, however these are the
swizzles we have had the best comments on at our state side
happy hours. We have also given you the ability to mix or
match individually so you dont have to purchase a set.
Fun
Swizzle Stick Trivia
Where did the these great
cocktail glass decorations come from?
In the 1930's in the US, a Swizzle Stick was one of the bar accessories used to remove bubbles from sparkling wines.
Strange as this sounds, I quess some people liked less
bubbles in the American version of Champagne. In the 19th
century in Jamaica and the islands of the Greater and Lesser
Antilles there was also a device known as a Swizzle Stick that was used to 'Swizzle' ice and liquor together in a jug or glass to create a frost on the outside. Originally it was made from the dried
branch of a tropical plant about 14 or 15 inches long that
ends in a fork of smaller branches. This has now become the
modern day "stirring spoon" used in stirring rather than
shaking a martini!
And there is a type of drink known as the Swizzle Cocktail again originating
from the Islands which consists of local rums, fresh lime
juice, sugar and often a dash of bitters. It was made in large pitchers filled with ice
and the stick was rubbed between the palms to create
a blender effect to mix the drink. As for the use of
beverage mixers in cocktails, sometimes they are simply a type of garnish or decoration, but often they do serve a purpose. A
cocktail stirrer should almost always be added to a drink that is "built" in the glass. Meaning that either the ingredients are poured straight into the glass without shaking, or only some of the ingredients are shaken together ahead of time, the rest being poured on top once it is in the glass.
This allows the guest a chance to 'play' with their drink to
get it just right!
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