Using fresh herbs in your summer drinks is an absolute gamechanger. When your bartending skills join forces with your gardening skills, you can create legendary beverages perfect for summer entertaining and late-night patio parties. Seriously, if you haven’t infused drinks with herbs before, it’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced. It’s next-level refreshment. Don’t believe us? Try these Salisbury-approved cocktail recipes that are big on flavour and fresh herb aromatics.
By the way””even if you’re dreadful at growing plants, you can still rely on Salisbury Greenhouse as your fresh herbs hookup. All 2.5″ herb pots are now priced at only $2.00 each! Cut, bagged herbs in the grocery store cost more and spoil faster, so getting them fresh at Sals is way more convenient!
Use Up Your Fresh Herbs with These Creative Cocktail Recipes
Have you seen the prices on drink menus at trendy bars lately? Sure, they taste like the elixirs of the Gods, but at $14 a pop, you’re much better off making your own swanky cocktails and enjoying them at home on your own patio. Now, if you’re not much of a master bartender, infusing herbs into your drinks is one of the simplest ways to elevate the flavour and overall quality.
You can muddle many fresh herbs into drinks with a pestle or a wooden spoon, but you can also make herb-infused simple syrups by simmering one part water, one part sugar, and a big handful of fresh garden herbs for 1″“2 hours. Strain out the chunky bits, store the syrup in a clean jar, and keep it in the fridge for up to one month. You’ll be amazed at how strongly scented they are!
Here are four fabulous drink recipes for smooth sipping all summer!
Strawberry Basil Gin Smash
Gin smashes usually have tart citrus juice, but the full-bodied flavours of fresh basil and strawberries make for a complex, rich, sweet, and nostalgic blend, perfect for afternoon picnics and lazy weekends on the porch.
Ingredients
- 4 basil leaves
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 strawberries, washed, hulled, and quartered
- 2 oz. gin
- 1 oz. lime juice
- Club soda
- Ice
- Extra basil and a strawberry slice for garnish
Directions
- Muddle the sugar, strawberries, and basil in a cocktail shaker.
- Add the gin, lime juice, and some ice. Shake, then strain into a glass over ice.
- Top with club soda and serve with basil leaves and a strawberry slice for garnish.
Rosemary Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned is a classic drink made with Kentucky bourbon that rose to popularity in the late 1800s at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel bar in NYC. If you can make a good Old Fashioned, you’ll score plenty of cool points, but if you infuse your Old Fashioned with fresh rosemary, you’ll be in a league of your own.
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Kentucky bourbon
- 2 dashes of orange bitters
- ¼ oz. rosemary simple syrup (see instructions above)
- A curl of orange peel and a sprig of rosemary for garnish
Directions
- Combine the bourbon, bitters, and simple syrup in a glass.
- Add ice and stir.
- Twist your orange peel to release the fragrant oils, then swirl the peel around the inner rim of the glass a few times before plopping it into your drink. Add a sprig of rosemary and serve immediately.
Blended Cucumber Mint Mojito
Blended mojitos just hit different on a hot summer day, and this cucumber version is extra crisp and cool. There are so many interesting flavoured mints available, like pineapple mint or ginger mint. Try planting some interesting varieties in your garden this year so you can experiment with different flavour infusions!
Ingredients
- 5″“7 mint leaves
- 1 cup of ice
- 2 oz. of rum
- 1 oz. of lime juice
- 1 oz. of plain simple syrup
- 6 slices of cucumber
- A slice of cucumber and mint leaves for garnish
Directions
- Combine all ingredients (except for garnish) in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve with a straw, and a slice of cucumber and mint leaves for garnish.
Cilantro Jalapeño Margarita
Spice up your typical shaken margarita with these quintessential flavours of Mexico: cilantro and jalapeÅ„o pepper! This baby has some serious bite””you’ll love the combination of icy refreshment with spicy heat!
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Blanco tequila
- 1 oz. Reposado tequila
- 4 thin slices of jalapeńo
- ½ oz. cilantro simple syrup (see instructions above)
- 1 oz. lime juice
- Salt for your glass rim
- An extra slice of lime, jalapeno, and a sprig of cilantro for garnish.
Directions
- Moisten the rim of your glass with lime and coat the rim with salt.
- Combine all ingredients (except for garnish) in a cocktail shaker.
- Strain over ice and garnish.
Discover even more incredible garden edibles in your fresh herb cocktails in Edmonton by visiting Salisbury Greenhouse in Sherwood Park and St. Albert! There are endless ways to get creative behind the bar with delicious garden ingredients.
