Contributed by Kathy Hester
I love a fancy cocktail on a hot summer’s day. You can impress your friends by upgrading some of your old recipes with fresh herbs. Make a few pitchers of each and put out on a buffet and put garnishes on Noritake colorwave accent plates to help spruce up your table.
Make a few simple syrups that you infuse with different herbs. Try thyme, rosemary, oregano, even sage to add that savory flavor to an otherwise sweet drink. These are great to use in bourbon and rum. They really give another layer of complexity to the drink.
Of course you can muddle many herbs like you are used to doing with mint in mojitoes. This works best with herbs that don’t have woody stems like basil, cilantro, mint and lemon balm. Remember that there are different varieties of herbs like lime basil that you can use to add more than one note to your drink.
Thyme leaves (don’t use the woody stem) muddled with blackberries and a little simple syrup goes great with a little cucumber infused gin. Thyme also pairs well with lemon drinks as well.
Cilantro is still an underutilized herb in cocktails, so make sure to try these combinations. Citrus vodka with lime and grapefruit juice and cilantro makes a tart treat, while ripe mango, chili pepper, lime, cilantro and tequila makes for an interesting margarita variation.
Basil goes great in a mojito in place of the usual mint. Lemon balm is another great stand in as well and adds an out of this world lemon flavor. Basil and strawberry team well together for a martini. Just muddle the basil and a few strawberries then add vodka and a little lemon juice and crushed ice.
Don’t forget lavender, it gives a wonderful floral flavor to drinks. Take a few pieces of lavender and muddled with an orange wedge and add vodka and orange liquor and serve over crushed ice. It also goes great in a gin and tonic, but this time make a simple syrup with it and use it that way.
No cocktail party is complete without something to snack on. Make your own herbed cheese spread with your leftover herbs and serve it up on your favorite dinnerware.
