If you're a bar owner serving cocktails or an events planner providing drinks as part of your packages and are looking for new and unique ideas to get your customers attention, then you need to jump on this trend! Not only are edible printed cocktail toppers more sustainable than typical cocktail garnishes like fruit, they allow you to add almost any design, logo, message and even photos directly onto drinks to add personalisation and be sure they stand out from the crowd! And the best thing… they are 100% edible, meaning there's no waste and your guests can enjoy their drink without having to remove any added extras.
If you want to offer something a little different on your cocktail menu, then we have put together this guide on why you need to and how you can start using edible images to create your own custom edible drinks toppers.
Why Should You Use Edible Cocktail Toppers?
As we may have mentioned, edible printed drinks toppers are an innovative and growing trend in the cocktail industry right now. Let us tell you why you need to start using them…
- Visual Appeal - transform ordinary drinks into works of art and catch your customers eye with stunning designs and images.
- Customisable - edible toppers can be used to add any logos to cocktails and drinks to help showcase yours or your clients brand or tailor the designs to match specific themes for weddings and events. This personalised touch will be sure to leave a lasting impression on guests and is great for brand awareness when they start snapping up pictures of your drinks for Instagram!
- Versatility - while most prefer to use edible toppers directly on top of their drinks, for example on foam topped cocktails, they can also be clipped to the side of the glass for customising Prosecco at event receptions for example! The toppers can also be cut into a wide range of shapes and sizes to suit your chosen drinks.
- Create memorable events -by adding a truly personalised touch, such as toppers to match the wedding stationary, monogram initials of the Bride(s) or Groom(s) or even a photo, you can transform an ordinary drink or cocktail into a truly memorable experience that guests are sure to remember fondly.
- Sustainability - all of our edible products used to create cocktail toppers have a long shelf life meaning they will last longer than perishable options like fruit, reducing the amount of waste.
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Customer Image of a Printed Wafer Paper Cocktail Topper (@creationsbysheena)
What are Edible Cocktail Toppers Made Of?
The most popular choice of edible paper for creating custom printed cocktail and drinks toppers is wafer paper or card. Depending on the type of drink you wish to garnish, how long you want them to last and the desired finished look will determine the best choice for your drinks. You can then print your design onto the wafer paper using edible ink.
Wafer Paper
Our thinnest wafer paper (0.35mm thickness) is a good choice for adding to cocktails with a foam top, such as the popular Pornstar Martini! Made from just potato starch, water and sunflower oil, wafer paper is tasteless so won't effect the taste of the drink and will blend into the foam and last as long as your guest enjoys their tipple! Wafer paper has a rough side and a smooth side for printing and is the most cost-effective type of edible paper for making printed cocktail toppers.
You can browse our range of wafer paper here.
Wafer Card
For a longer lasting topper for drinks where advanced preparation is a necessity, for example to top reception drinks at a wedding of event or for still, non-foamy drinks, then our thicker wafer card may be more suitable. Comprising of the same ingredients as the paper alternative, wafer card is 0.65mm thickness and retains its shape better on top of liquids. It can also be used to top foam topped cocktails for a more crisp and detailed design. As wafer card is smoother and more opaque, it is capable of achieving a better quality print, so this would be a good choice for a more detailed logo or design.
You can browse our range of wafer card here.
A4 Wafer Paper & A4 Wafer Card (25 Sheets per Pack)
EPS wafer paper and wafer card is available in A4 and A3 size in single packs or bulk cartons. It's 100% vegan, allergen-free, Halal and Kosher certified. We also ensure our wafer is manufactured to BRC standards to ensure the best quality.
Edible Ink
Based on food colourings, EPS edible ink is specifically formulated to be safe for consumption. It comes as four colours (CMYK) and is capable of producing vibrant, high-quality prints on your wafer drinks toppers.
Edible ink is available from EPS in either pre-filled cartridges compatible with a range of edible printer models or bottled refills for refillable edible ink cartridges. The refillable option is of course more cost-effective and better for the environment than single-use cartridges, but it does take a bit more time and work. The choice is yours! If you're new to edible printing, you may wish to go with the pre-filled option to begin with.
All EPS edible ink is suitable for vegans and vegetarians as well as being Halal and Kosher certified.
Our edible inks and cartridges can be found here.
How to Make Edible Printed Cocktail Toppers
First of all, you're going to need to get set up with an edible printer. We have put together an Edible Cocktail Topper Printer Kit with everything you need to get started! The kit includes:
- Canon TS705a PIXMA Edible Printer
- 1 pack x 25 Sheets A4 EPS Wafer Paper (0.35mm)
- 1 pack x 25 Sheets A4 EPS Wafer Card (0.65mm)
- 1 XL Circle Squeeze Punch Cutter (2inch/5cm)
- Editable Cocktail Topper Template Download for 2inch/5cm circular drinks toppers
- Set-up guide with instructions on how to set up the printer and prepare the edible ink cartridges
A4 Canon TS705A Edible Cocktail Topper Printer Kit - from £154.95 (ex. VAT)
Once you're all set up, creating your own custom toppers is easy. Here's our step-by-step guide on making edible cocktail toppers…
- Choose your design - once you have decided on the image, logo or message you want to add to your cocktails, you can simply print this onto your wafer paper. You can use any kind of image editing or design programme including Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Canva or even just a Word document. If using our specially designed template you will need to open this in our recommended image design tool Canva. This tool has both a free and premium version, but the free option has all the functions you need for this. Our Cocktail Topper Template has a template for uploading your own designs and artwork. Full instructions on how to use the template will be included with your download. It's also important to choose a high quality image.
- Print Your Designs - next it's time to print your designs onto the wafer paper or card using your edible printer. Ensure you are using our recommended print settings - print quality ‘best’ and media type ‘plain paper’ as we have found this to produce the best quality prints. You can also adjust the colour settings for your printer to suit your design. We always recommend you print your image onto plain paper first and once you are happy with the quality and colours, go ahead and print onto the edible paper. Make sure you allow the ink to dry before cutting.
- Cut Out Your Toppers - the easiest way to cut out your edible drinks toppers is with our Circle Squeeze Punch, included in the kit which is the perfect size for adding on top or to the side of drinks. We do stock other sizes and shapes in this type of cutter and there are others available on the market too. We recommend storing your toppers in a sealable bag or container until they are ready to be used. We stock grip-seal bags ideal for this should you need.
- Application - when you are ready to use the edible toppers, first prepare your drink or cocktail before carefully applying the wafer topper to the surface. The wafer will absorb the liquid from the drink and soften to blend into the drink. It may curl at the edges at first, but if you allow the wafer to absorb the moisture from the drink it will flatten. Alternatively, you can attach the topper to the side of the glass using a small peg. Finally, serve the drink and observe your guests enjoy their unique custom cocktail!
Offering custom printed edible toppers on your drinks and cocktails is sure to leave a lasting impression on your guests. Whether it's fun personalised toppers that are the talk of the party, classy drinks to showcase a brand or impress at a corporate event, edible cocktail toppers will be a welcomed addition to your drink offerings.
Customer Photo of Edible Toppers Clipped to Prosecco Glass (@preston_prints)
If you have any other questions about using edible drinks and cocktail toppers or about any of our products, our friendly team are here to help! Just get in touch by emailing our Support Team at support@edibleprintsupplies.co.uk or by giving us a call on 01254 825786.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for more edible printing hints, tips and inspiration or check out our other blog posts.