Are Cocktail Garnish Boards the New Grazing Boards? According to Blake Lively, They’re a Party Must

“One of my favorite holiday tricks is a garnish board,” Lively explains, “like a cheese board but I'll take Betty Buzz, Betty Booze, your favorite alcohol and any garnish. It can be herbs, it can be fruit. I like to put [everything] in little vases [with] a bowl of ice in the middle. And what's fun about it is, well, it helps break the ice because when people are coming over, [they] don't always want to eat right away. I tend to be quite shy at parties…and so having an activity to do just helps me, you know, stay busy and then it gives you something to talk about with a friend. So, it's kind of like Build-A-Bear for grown-ups.”

When it comes time to build your board, Lively insists that “maximalism is key.” Her go-to garnishes include cinnamon sticks, apples, ginger, strawberries, cherries, lemon, sage, rosemary and mint. Depending on what cocktails you’re serving, I’d also suggest adding citrus rind or dried citrus slices, edible flowers, blue-cheese stuffed olives, jalapeños, basil and rimming salt.

Pro-tip to making ginger look both functional and appealing on a garnish board? “I like to cut my ginger longways,” Lively explains. “It makes it look like [a] coral reef.” Plus, it can prop up perfectly on the edge of a flute, rocks or highball glass.

Additional Garnish Board Ideas I Love

• Festive garnish board featuring fruit-infused ice cubes by @athomewithshannon
• Holiday garnish board featuring orange rind-wrapped cranberries by @ritualzeroproof
• Martini garnish board by @_mariam_ayvazyan
• Margarita garnish board by @thecurecharcuterie