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Garden game
Gardening savants and amateurs alike know the joy-sparking pleasure of tending to your own little patch of earth. Think your apartment balcony is too small to join in on the fun? Trust and believe: all kinds of botanicals can take root in flower boxes and planters—as long as they get the right amount of sun and space to grow. But which seeds to sow, you might ask? Thinking outside the box—beyond strawberries and cherry tomatoes—fresh herbs are equally fond of smaller spaces and grow just as great in a pot as they do in Mother Earth herself.
From garden to table, to your cocktail
Aromatic royalty, easy to grow, and with so many uses, fresh herbs open up the field of drink possibilities to near infinity—and well beyond mere pesto. The proof is in the drinking, so here are three cocktail recipes to make at home and see your world through greener glasses. As a garnish, muddled or in syrup form, herbs from your garden are going to steal the limelight in this summer’s drink lineup. Watering cans out!
Mint is synonymous with freshness, mainly due to the menthol contained in its leaves that produces a cooling sensation. Plus, its bold, distinctive flavour lends itself equally well to salty and sugary creations. In this vodka-based cocktail, honey packs the sweetness while herb liqueur brings the complexity. Drinker be warned: mint is prolific, so dedicating an entire planter to it is your best bet if you want to avoid an invasive species situation in your growing space!
Resiny, smoky, woody, and deep, rosemary is an herb that evokes summer campfires and forest hikes. In this recipe, it’s not just a garnish, it flavours the entire cocktail in tandem with the sweetness of orange and the bite of gin and bitter liqueur. Serve this spritz in an old-fashioned glass for an added touch of class.
Central to Italian cooking, basil is a highly fragrant herb, slightly sweet and sometimes peppery, depending on the variety. It’s also a cheese’s best friend and the perfect pairing for tart fruits, which is why it’s a match made in heaven for raspberries. With all this in mind, here’s a fresh, colourful cocktail that will not go unnoticed this season.
Flower power
Decorative, flavourful, and versatile, edible flowers are excellent as garnishes, infusions, crystalized in egg white and sugar, or frozen into gorgeous little ice cubes. Now’s the perfect time to pick lemony calendula, sweet and minty pansy, or perhaps some peppery nasturtium, whose petals, leaves and seeds are all edible. Pro tip: conserve the latter in brine to sub as capers!
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