Raising a Cocktail Garden
TJ Shirk • May 31, 2021
Spring is in full swing and the time for summery drinks is here. I tend to shy away from a lot of the fruitier summer drinks and go with drinks on the refreshingly savoury side, and for those savoury drinks I need herbs. Mainly mint, basil and rosemary. If you have an herb garden in the warm months you are well on your way to enjoying some wonderful cocktails this season.
Growing herbs is not a difficult thing. You can start them from seeds or get them already started from a nursery or farmers market. My local nursery usually has a 3 for $10 deal on seedlings so that is my normal routine for having a summer herb cocktail garden. I find getting them already started allows for a fuller plant, ready to use when patio season hits.
Once you have some plants large enough to begin harvesting from, be sure you are taking the leaves in a manner that is safe to the plant and will encourage new growth. With mint and basil you want to harvest from the top of the plant cutting the stem just above the lower set of leaves. With rosemary trim off 10 - 15cm from each shoot as needed.
The most common ways to incorporate herbs into your cocktails is by muddling the herbs into the drink, infusing them into a simple syrup and as a garnish. Some of my favourite herbed cocktails are the Mint Julep, the Mojito, Sweet Basil, and Rosemary Bourbon sours. All of these include sugar or simple syrup as an ingredient. Making an infused simple syrup with the herbs is an incredible way to maintain the sweet element and enhance the herb flavour in the drink.
A recipe I use for simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water, measured by weight. Volumetric measuring can lead to an inconsistent syrup or a syrup that is too sweet. Most recipes will call for equal parts sugar and water and then say a cup of each. A cup, or 250ml of water is 250 grams. Whereas a cup of sugar, depending on type, coarseness, etc. can exceed 250 grams! Not so equal parts.
I typically make my syrups in small batches. 100 grams of water and 100 grams of sugar. Combine the two ingredients over medium heat on the stove until fully dissolved. Allow to cool briefly and pour into small bottles. For infused syrups I add the desired herb while the syrup is still warm and allow it to rest in the fridge at least overnight until use.
There is lots of great weather ahead. Go out and grab some herbs and try them in some cocktails. I will leave you with a recipe for a Sweet Basil. A lovely and refreshing cocktail that always beats the summer heat.
Sweet Basil
Ingredients:
11 Basil leaves (10 for the drink, 1 for garnish)
Ice
3 ounces of Lillet blanc
½ ounce of Gin (I prefer a London dry style gin for this recipe)
1 ounce of simple syrup
Procedure:
In a cocktail shaker muddle 10 basil leaves. Add ice, Lillet blanc, gin and simple syrup and shake well. Double strain into a chilled coupe and float the remaining basil leaf on top of drink. Serve.
Cheers!