Bringing the outside in - how to use herbs in your cocktails

If you spotted our Instagram reel last week, you’ll know that we’ve been experimenting with flavours from the herb garden. The hairy fennel gimlet might not have been our finest hour but on the whole, herbs are a wonderful way to add botanical layers to a familiar recipe especially in the summer.

One of the easiest ways to add a botanical twist is to infuse your favourite liquor with herbs. Add some leaves to a bottle of gin or vodka and leave to infuse for a few days.

Or how about creating a flavoured syrup? Sugar syrup is a common ingredient in lots of classic cocktails. Next time you make a batch, try adding some of your favourite herb.

Here are some of our tried and tested recipes.

Mint

When it comes to herbs for cocktails, mint is best known and most widely used. Clean, cooling and menthol, it’s a key ingredient in a number of classics mojitos, Moscow mules, mint juleps and Hugos.

Mint Julep

This classic from the Deep South is so iconic it even has its own cup.

60ml bourbon

15ml sugar syrup

A handful of mint leaves

Muddle the mint leaves and syrup in the bottom of a rocks glass or julep cup.

Pour in the bourbon, add the crushed ice and stir carefully until everything is mixed and the cup is frosted.

Top with more ice and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Lemon Verbena

With floral and citrus notes, lemon verbena has an almost sherbet quality that makes it a brilliant addition to summer drinks. Try garnishing your G&T with a few leaves instead of your usual lemon or lime.

Lemon Verbena Collins

50ml gin

25ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

15ml simple syrup infused with lemon verbena

Shake the ingredients over ice and strain into an ice filled Collins glass.

Top with sparkling or soda water and garnish with a couple of lemon verbena leaves.

Basil

Sweet, peppery and aromatic, basil conjures up images of an Italian summer. It pairs particularly well with another summer favourite, strawberries.  Replace the simple syrup and a daiquiri with honey and basil for a delicious twist on the classic recipe. You can experiment with other types of basil for different results. Thai basil, for example, has a more aniseed flavour profile.

Gin Basil Smash

60ml gin

30ml lemon juice

15 ml simple syrup

A handful of basil leaves

Muddle the leaves in the bottom of a cocktail shaker, add the rest of the ingredients and shake well with ice until thoroughly chilled.

Strain and serve in an ice-filled rocks glass.

Rosemary

Woody and aromatic, rosemary pairs well with bourbon, vodka and gin. Ignite a sprig and infuse an old fashioned or negroni with smoke. We like to place the smoking sprig on top of the glass and cover it for a minute or two with a bowl or cloche.

Rosemary Gimlet

A classic gimlet calls for lime cordial but this version uses fresh lime juice and rosemary-infused syrup.

60ml gin

30ml fresh lime juice

15ml rosemary simple syrup

Shake the ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.

Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

Muddled Summer Cup

No summer recipe list would be complete without our take on summer cup which has a herb-infused syrup at its heart.

For the syrup:

100g sugar

100ml water

1/4 chopped cucumber

1 generous sprig of lemon verbena

2 generous sprigs of mint

Half an orange cut into pieces

Dissolve the sugar into the water over gentle heat.

Add all other ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.

Allow to cool and infuse for as long as possible (preferably overnight).

Strain before use - the syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

Summer Cup

50ml Gin

50ml Cointreau or Triple Sec

25ml Sweet Vermouth

2 tsp infused sugar syrup

2 generous dashes of orange bitters

Tonic water, lemonade, ginger ale or soda water (as preferred) to taste. 

This last addition is a great way to adjust the sweetness to suit your palate - we usually plump for tonic as it gives a sharper finish.

Mix all the ingredients in a jug along with strawberries, orange slices, cucumber, bruised mint leaves and a borage flower if you can get hold of it.

Build individually over ice, topping the mix with fruit and something fizzy as suggested above, or scale up the recipe to make a large jug with plenty of ice for bigger gatherings.