From Garden to Glass: Herb-inspired Holiday Beverages
Frost descended on area pumpkins shortly before Halloween. Our gardens will soon settle in for a winter’s sleep, but for now, let’s carry the taste of summer into our holiday mocktails and cocktails.
Citrusy and savory herbs and spices add a little zing to hot and cold beverages. Fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, mint, basil and lemon verbena are key ingredients. Sprigs of each can be used as a garnish, but they are sometimes “muddled” and mixed into a drink.
Muddling is gently crushing herbs, fruits or spices to release their oils, flavors and fragrance. You can use a fork or purchase a bar tool called a muddler. Delicate herbs, like thyme and basil, need a light touch. Aggressively muddling tender leaves can make them taste bitter. No muddler? Gently roll the fresh herbs between your hands to release their oils. A cocktail shaker is a handy tool, but a glass, spoon and strainer work well, too.
If you grew herbs this summer, you may have harvested them or brought the pots indoors. But if you didn’t, there are plenty of stores that sell fresh herbs. Buy them in small pots and place them on a sunny window, or on a kitchen counter near under-cabinet lights. They should last into the new year.
Classic Mint Julep
4 mint leaves
1 tsp. powdered sugar
Splash of water (1–2 teaspoons)
2 oz. bourbon whiskey
Garnish: 1 sprig of mint
Cut the mint leaves in half to release their flavor. Place them with the sugar and water in the bottom of the glass and “muddle” the ingredients. Add cracked ice and the bourbon, stirring gently. Garnish with the sprig of mint.
Hot Rum Toddy
2 oz. spiced rum
1 T. honey
1/2 oz. lemon juice
Hot water
Garnish: Cinnamon stick and sprig of lemon grass
Combine rum, honey, and lemon juice in a mug. Top with hot water and stir. Add cinnamon and lemon grass.
Botanical Boost
1 2/3 oz. vodka
2/3 oz. elderflower liqueur
2 oz. carrot juice
1 oz. apple juice
2 thin slices of peeled, fresh ginger
Garnish: slice of dried pineapple, apricot or apple, 1 sprig of mint, 1 Maraschino cherry
Muddle the ginger in the bottom of a shaker or glass. Add ice and the remaining ingredients and shake or stir. Strain the liquid into a glass filled with ice and add the garnishes. Serve with a straw.
Raspberry Delight
1 2/3 oz. raspberry vodka
1 2/3 oz. fresh red grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/3 oz. simple syrup
5 raspberries
Garnish: 2 raspberries, sprig of mint
Combine the ingredients in a shaker with ice. If you are using a glass, stir the ingredients with a fork to gently smash up the berries. Strain into an ice-filled glass, along with some of the berry pulp. Use a cocktail stick to spear the mint and raspberries.
Sangria Mocktail
4 large oranges
12 oz. grape juice
6 oz. apple juice or apple cider
2 oz. lemon juice
Garnish: Sprig of lemon grass, lemon verbena or mint
Juice three oranges and place the liquid in a large sealable container. Peel and slice the last orange and add the slices to the container. Add all of the juices and gently stir to mix. Seal the container and refrigerate for 24 hours. Pour into a pitcher half-filled with ice. Add one sprig of garnish to each glass when serving.
Merry Mocktail
3 1/2 oz. tomato juice
2/3 oz. fresh lemon juice
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Pinch of celery salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Garnish: Sprig of Rosemary, wedge of lime
Combine the ingredients in a glass filled with ice. Stir and sprinkle some pepper on top. Thread the rosemary sprig through the lime wedge and place in the glass.
Cinnamon Apple Mocktail
2 parts apple cider
1 part sparkling cider
Dash of cinnamon
Garnish: 1 sprig of lemon verbena, 1 cinnamon stick
Fill a glass with ice; add the ciders and cinnamon, stirring until mixed. Add the lemon verbena sprig and add cinnamon stick.
Nina Koziol is a garden writer and horticulturist who lives and gardens in Palos Park, Illinois.