The Shoomaker

I've gotten a few requests about how I create my whimsical cocktail garnishes from citrus peels, so here is a glimpse into the process.  This garnish is meant to recall a cobbler, or shoe maker, and decorated a Gin Rickey, which was created and made famous in the late 1800's at Shoomaker's bar in Washington DC.

Fresh citrus informs the color palette

For large areas I cut a swath of peel and scrape off the pith

All designs start with a drawing.  A fine scissor is my secret weapon.

Meyer lemon peel is incredibly soft and pliable 

Design taking shape

Adding movement with separate pieces works well

For smaller pieces a Y-peeler does the trick

Little details add a lot

And the cherry on top!

Securing everything on a bamboo skewer helps stabilize the design for the final presentation

And viola! Cheers!

For the Gin Rickey history and soothing "Roll Box" which accompanies it see the full article at:

Boxes and Booze: Roll with it!