The easiest way to take your homemade drinks from decent to worthy of your favorite upscale cocktail bar is to master the art of the rim. Anyone who's had a minty sugar-dipped mojito can attest: That crystallized slick of goodness clinging to the edge of the glass is a revelation in every sip. And it's not just for fun or decoration—rimming a glass can add an element that's essential to a particular cocktail (like salt in a margarita, for example).
There are three key parts to making a perfect rimmed cocktail. Rick Martinez, BA's associate food editor breaks them down for us:
First things first: You'll need to wet the lip of the glass with a liquid so the salt or sugar has something to adhere to. Don't go too far down the glass; about ¼" is perfect. Water's your most basic option here. It's wet, and sugar and salt will stick to it—but it's also flavorless. Here are our other favorites for the liquid portion:
Juice
Avoid juice with lots of pulp. Choose a juice that enhances or complements the inherent flavors of your cocktail. Some options: citrus, apple or pear cider, grape, pineapple, passion, mango.
Diluted syrups
Use a 1:1 syrup-to-water dilution or the syrup will be too viscous and thick. Try maple, simple syrup, agave, honey, fruit syrup, or grenadine.
Beer
Sipping a beer-based cocktail, like a Michelada or a Bloody Beer? Take it a step further with a beer-and-salt rim.
Wine
Sangria and wine spritzers are just begging for a rim. (Psst—white wine works better here, unless you're a big fan of Bozo the Clown "wine mouth.")
Soda
Choose light-colored sodas for the same reason you'd use white wine. Tonic water also works well.
Cut fruit Choose ripe fruit that's juicy and flavorful, slice it, and rub the rim with it. For double the flavor, muddle the slice into the cocktail after you rub the rim. Try peaches, plums, mangoes, or pineapples.
This is the fun part! Once you've wet the rim of your glass, set it upside-down in a shallow bowl or dish containing the dry ingredient and the "extra" (more on that in a minute). Make sure there's enough to coat the entire rim of the glass. Wiggle the glass to cover the wet part of the glass completely. Turn the glass right-side up and pour in your cocktail. Be careful when filling the glass: Don't let the drink splash the rim and undo your hard work.
Salt
A classic pick for margaritas, bloodies, and beer-based drinks.
Kosher: Not all kosher salt is created equal. Choose a variety that isn't too coarse.
Sea salt: Sea salt can be too briny with intense salinity. Taste before using.
Smoked: Your Bloody Mary called. It wants to be rimmed with smoked salt.
Pink: Pink salt has a mineral-forward flavor that's great with margaritas or bloodies.
Gray: This intense salt needs to be paired with bold drinks, or it will dominate the other flavors.
Sugar
Granulated: It may not be fancy, but simple granulated sugar is our pick for sugar-rimmed cocktails. The bright and clean flavor is just the ticket for sweet-tart cocktails with high acidity.
Raw: Raw sugar has a deeper, caramelized flavor that's nice with brown spirits, like Bourbon and whiskey-based cocktails.
Candies
No one says you have to use salt or sugar. Go straight for the jugular with crushed candy. Some of our favorite options:
Crushed Pop Rocks
Sour candies
Powdered candy (hello, Fun Dip)
Pulverized nut and seed brittles or praline
These mix-ins can be added to any of the dry components we've mentioned for a little extra oomph. Keep in mind that a little goes a long way—there should not be more "extra" than dry ingredient. Taste it before you rim the glass, but as a good rule of thumb, Martinez recommends ½ to 1 teaspoon of "extra" per 2 tablespoons sugar or salt.
Spices
Go for sweet and heat with cinnamon, cayenne, chili powder, cocoa powder, or crushed cocoa nibs.
Citrus
Use the zest: dried and ground, or fresh and grated. Avoid the white pith separating the zest and the fruit, as it can be bitter.
Herbs
Go for dried, and grind them finely in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder. Fresh herbs are too reminiscent of lawn cuttings to mix well.
Cookies
The process: Place cookies in a sealed plastic bag with the air pressed out. Crush with a mallet or rolling pin. It goes without saying that this is also awesome as an ice-cream topper.
Dried fruit or vegetable powders
Making your own potent herb, veggie, and fruit powders is easier than you think—and so worth it.