Glass rims

Look at the number of compartments first. A model with three layers gives you moisture, salt and sugar side by side, so you never have to swap over mid-service. If there is only one rimmed drink on your menu, a more compact model with a single dry compartment is enough.

With the material, the setting counts. Bamboo looks warm on a bar that is in full view and suits wooden furniture, but you do not want to put it in the dishwasher. Plastic is lighter, usually takes a short cycle and is the logical choice if the rimmer is in use all day.

The mix then decides the flavour. Coarse sea salt belongs with tequila drinks, fine caster sugar with sweet citrus drinks. The ready-made mixes here come in fixed flavours, which takes the guesswork out and keeps your rim the same from day to day.

Work with a clean, dry glass. Turn only the outside of the rim through the moisture compartment, holding the glass at a slight angle and keeping the inside untouched. If salt gets on the inside it falls into the drink and your margarita ends up salty instead of fresh. Then turn that same rim through the dry compartment and tap the glass off gently.

More and more bartenders make a half rim: you roll only one side through the compartments, so your guest can choose with or without. With the flavoured mixes, match on the ingredient. Chilli for a spicy margarita, coconut for a pina colada, passion fruit for anything heading towards the tropics.

Salt and sugar draw in moisture and start to clump because of it. Make up mixes in small quantities, close the compartments when the bar shuts and refresh the moisture compartment every service, certainly if you work with freshly squeezed juice rather than water.

Loose or sliding compartments make cleaning a good deal simpler, because you can empty and rinse them separately. Wipe bamboo and wood with a damp cloth and let them dry completely, because the glued seam comes loose in the dishwasher. Plastic holders can generally go in on a short cycle.

If the rim is sorted but you are missing the right glass, the margarita glasses are ready with the wide rim that shows a salt edge at its best. For the garnish that sits next to the rimmer on the bar, look at the garnish trays, and the shaking itself starts with the cocktail shakers, where the strainers sit too.