Grow Your Own Cocktail Boosters: A DIY Guide to Mixology Gardening
Garden-grown secrets unveiled for a rejuvenating drink mix, whether alcoholic or not.
Get ready to level up your summer drinks! Why not grow your own cocktail-enhancing ingredients? You won't be brewing the spirits themselves, but you can certainly cultivate delicious accompaniments.
Mint is a breeze to grow and might even take over your garden if you're not careful. Plant it in a pot to keep it contained, and place it in a sunny spot. Water it regularly, and you'll soon have fresh leaves for your lemonade or mint juleps in no time.
Experiment with various mint varieties, like spearmint, peppermint, chocolate mint, apple mint, or Cuban mint. Each offers unique scents and flavors that will elevate your cocktails.
Basil isn't just for Italian cuisine. The Genovese variety is perfect for beverages, as are lemon and cinnamon basil. Plant these in the sun and water them, but watch the climate and avoid over- or underwatering. To ensure the leaves stay fresh and flavorsome, pinch off any flower stalks that appear.
Lemon verbena has a heavenly scent and pairs beautifully with a gin and tonic or sparkling water. While most herbs don’t require supplemental nutrients, lemon verbena benefits from monthly applications of organic liquid fertilizer. Water plants when the soil begins to dry out to prevent root rot.
For impactful cocktail variants, consider muddling sage leaves with vodka and ginger liquor, then topping with ginger beer and pineapple and lime juices to taste. The secrets to growing herbs for cocktails are simple: harvest herbs in the morning for max flavor, and use a glass of water indoors to keep them fresh until happy hour.
Don’t forget about strawberries, which return every year in hardiness zones 4-9, and cucumbers, essential additions to a British Pimm's cup. Make your own by filling a highball glass with thinly shaved cucumber, sliced strawberries, mint, and a couple of mandarin rounds, then pour 1 ½ ounces of Pimm's No. 1 liquor and 4 ounces of lemonade or lemon-lime soda over them.
If you enjoy a spicy kick, muddle a slice of red-ripe jalapeno with lime juice, pour a shot of tequila over it, and add your choice of mixer. Or go for the straightforward route and drink it neat. You do you—just remember, I'm the garden lady!
[^1^]: Although the specific growing zones for lemon verbena aren’t defined, it’s typically grown as a perennial in warmer climates. Adjust planting for cooler regions by overwintering indoors.[^2^]: Ideal for sun teas or muddled cocktails.[^3^]: For the most concentrated flavor, muddle herbs in the morning.[^4^]: Full sun to partial shade for mint.[^5^]: Lemon verbena pairs well with mezcal and makes a fabulous iced tea.
- For an aromatic twist in your summer drinks, consider growing peppermint, spearmint, or even chocolate mint as part of your mixology garden.
- If you're growing lemon verbena, remember to apply organic liquid fertilizer monthly to ensure it thrives and enhances your gin and tonics with its unique flavor.
- To make an impressive strawberry, cucumber, and mint-infused Pimm's cup, fill a highball glass with thinly shaved cucumber, sliced strawberries, mint, and mandarin rounds, then top with your preferred mixer.
- For a spicy kick in your tequila-based drinks, muddle red-ripe jalapeno slices with fresh lime juice, pour a shot of tequila over it, and add your choice of mixer for a flavor explosion.
- Basil doesn't just belong in Italian food—Genovese basil, lemon basil, and cinnamon basil make excellent additions to cocktails, but be mindful of their watering needs to keep them fresh and flavorful.
