Cocktail Picks
The skewer that holds a garnish out of the drink and gives the drinker somewhere to put it. A small thing that changes how a Martini is eaten, and the one garnish tool people notice when it is missing.
Alternatives
Budget Alternative
Disposable bamboo cocktail picks (£2–3 per pack) can be used for casual or high-volume settings, though they lack durability and professional finish.
Premium Option
Stainless steel cocktail picks (£12–15 per set) offer improved durability, hygiene, and presentation, making them suitable for long-term professional use.
Care & Maintenance
Care Instructions
- Rinse immediately after use to remove sugar and fruit residue.
- Wash by hand or in a dishwasher-safe basket if permitted.
- Dry thoroughly to prevent spotting.
- Store together in a dedicated container to avoid loss.
Expected Lifespan
- •Premium stainless steel: 10–15 years or more with regular professional use
- •Standard stainless steel: 5–8 years before bending or surface wear appears
- •Budget or disposable picks: Single-use to 1 year depending on material
Usage
Olives and onions in a Martini or Gibson, cherries in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned, and any garnish meant to be retrieved and eaten rather than left in the glass. Also useful for holding a flamed orange peel steady.
What It Is Actually For
Two jobs, and the second is the one people forget.
The obvious one is retrieval: an olive at the bottom of a Martini glass has to be fished out with fingers or drunk at, neither of which is elegant. On a pick, it lifts out whole.
The second is timing. A garnish sitting loose in a drink leaches into it for the whole time you are drinking. A Manhattan with a cherry loose in it tastes sweeter at the end than at the start. A pick resting across the rim, or standing in the glass with the fruit above the liquid, keeps the garnish as something you eat afterwards rather than an ingredient you did not choose.
The Odd-Number Rule
One olive or three, never two. It is an old superstition in bartending and, unusually, it seems to be genuinely ancient rather than invented for a cocktail book: an even number of anything served at table read as unlucky in several European traditions, and the trade absorbed it.
Whether or not that convinces you, the visual argument holds. Three olives on a pick sit as a group; two read as one missing.
Practically, one olive suits a 150ml glass and three suits anything larger. More than three in a Martini glass displaces enough gin to matter, which is a real cost rather than an aesthetic one.
Metal Against Bamboo
Stainless steel picks look considerably better, last indefinitely, and are the right choice for a Martini or a Manhattan, where the drink is served in a stemmed glass and the pick is part of the presentation. Look for a flat or shaped head that stops it sliding into the glass.
Bamboo and wooden picks are single-use, cost almost nothing, and are the sensible answer for volume, for parties, and for anything crushed or tiki where picks vanish.
Plastic picks, the sword and the flamingo, belong to a specific kind of drink and should stay there. On an Old Fashioned they read as a mistake.
Length and Care
Match the pick to the glass. A 10cm pick in a Collins glass sinks and is gone; a 15cm pick in a coupe looks like a mast. As a rule, the pick should span the glass with a couple of centimetres to spare so it can rest across the rim.
Metal picks want hand-washing. They are small enough to fall through a dishwasher rack, and olive brine pits cheap steel over time, so rinse them promptly rather than leaving them to sit.
Keep them somewhere they are visible and countable, or they disappear one at a time into the bin with the olives.
Pro Tip
If a garnish needs fingers to retrieve it, the pick is doing its job, not the drink.
What to Look For
- Slim metal construction rather than wood or plastic.
- Smooth, polished finish that won’t snag garnishes.
- A defined stopper or loop to prevent the pick sliding into the drink.
- Adequate length to sit securely across a glass without tipping.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using disposable toothpicks, which look unfinished and contaminate drinks.
- Choosing novelty picks that overpower the presentation.
- Selecting picks that are too short for stemmed or tall glasses.
- Reusing picks without proper cleaning between services.
Professional Tips
- One olive for a Martini, three for a bigger glass. Never two.
- Rest the pick across the rim, not sunk in the drink.
- Metal for stemmed glasses, bamboo for anything crushed.
- Match the length to the glass. A short pick sinks.
Specifications
Material
Stainless steel
Capacity
Not applicable
Details
Straight or subtly twisted metal shafts with a pointed tip and a small stopper, loop, or disc at the opposite end to prevent slipping into the glass.
History & Context
Cocktail picks emerged alongside early garnished drinks in the late 19th century, offering a hygienic way to serve olives, cherries, and citrus without direct contact. Their continued use reflects the balance between presentation and practicality that defines professional cocktail service.
Common Questions
Why use cocktail picks?
To lift a garnish out whole, and to keep it from steeping. A cherry loose in a Manhattan sweetens the drink as you go; on a pick resting across the rim it stays something you eat afterwards rather than an ingredient you did not choose.
How many olives go on a pick?
One or three, never two. That is an old superstition about even numbers which the trade absorbed and kept. The visual argument holds anyway: three sit as a group, two read as one missing. More than three displaces enough gin to matter.
Metal or bamboo picks?
Metal for stemmed glasses, where the pick is part of the presentation and will last indefinitely. Look for a shaped head that stops it sliding in. Bamboo for volume, parties and anything crushed or tiki, where picks simply disappear.
What length pick do I need?
Long enough to span the glass with a couple of centimetres spare, so it can rest across the rim. A 10cm pick sinks in a Collins glass and is gone; a 15cm pick in a coupe looks like a mast.