With a Cherry on Top

They’re a bar staple, but standard cherry garnishes don’t often add much to cocktails beyond a sweet bite and (neon) pop of color. Now, bartenders around the country are starting to rethink the classic maraschino cherry by offering unexpected twists as complex as molecular gastronomy techniques and as simple re-hydrating dried cherries.

For Dean Sauer, bar manager of Cleveland’s The Greenhouse Tavern, the new garnish came by...