Grow Your Own Cocktails

Published on Thursday, March 25, 2010, by Roxanne Webber / Edit Post

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WEEDS CAN BE GOOD

“Things that work well for the bar grow like weeds,” says Daniel Hyatt, bar manager at the Alembic in San Francisco. At the Alembic, they grow herbs and even some raspberries in a little garden out back in an alley. Mint is one of those weedy plants that will become invasive if you don’t confine it to its own pot. Hyatt suggests growing an all-purpose spearmint but also playing around with other mints like chocolate mint, pineapple mint, and peppermint. Try using the chocolate mint in a Julep to “bring out the cocoa notes” of the whiskey, or swapping pineapple mint into a light-rum-based drink such as a Mojito to give it an extra-bright fruity flavor. Next: Citrus without the tree ยป
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POST A COMMENT |11 Comments

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  • Sorry (Duh) not the Basil, I meant the rosemary...

  • Do you just use the basil as a sprig? Does that get enough flavor into the cocktail? It definitely sounds really tasty!

  • I love Basil in cocktails. My favorite is a basil limoncello martini, very refreshing poolside.

  • I am an Urban gardening bartender and happy to answer any questions

  • Rosemary? Tastes great with lemonade...Throw in a little vodka or lemoncello and you'd have a refreshing summer drink.

  • awesome post! thanks. I love herbs and finding new ways to use them. i want to go find exotic herbs for my garden so i can start experimenting!

  • the information provided by you is good but i want to know more about this topic. If you can alert me by updating a new post on this topic, this would be helpful for me.
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  • how about using lovage stalks as an edible, celery-flavored straw for bloody maries?

  • Looks like sprigs of Sage in a cup of potting soil with some stirring straws ;)

  • Fresh thyme goes well in gin/chartreuse martinis: http://indirectheat.blogspot.com/2009/05/lazy-saturday-calls-for.html

  • What is the drink in this picture?