Growing Your Herbs and Botanicals for Drinks at The Cocktail Garden
Popularity of indoor gardening has increased recently. What better way to use your green thumb than to grow herbs and botanicals to craft delicious and easy cocktails? Imagine stepping outdoors to your balcony or backyard and gathering aromatic fresh flowers and herbs to blend into a range of energetic cocktails. To take your mixology skills to the next level, this article will walk you through creating a cocktail garden, from selecting the right plants to caring for them for maximum growth.
Choosing the Best Plants To Make Best Cocktails
Begin by selecting herbs commonly used in easy cocktails, such as mint, basil, rosemary, thyme, and lavender. These herbs can add a lovely touch to a variety of drinks. Consider using lavender, chamomile, elderflower, and hibiscus as herbs. These ingredients impart various flavors, smells, and colors to your easy cocktails.
1. Making a Cocktail at home Garden Strategy
Sunlight
- Ensure your chosen site gets enough sunlight, usually 6 to 8 hours each day because most herbs and botanicals like sunny surroundings to develop.
Soil
- Using well-draining soil will assist you in avoiding waterlogging, which can harm your plants. Consider using raised beds or containers with drainage holes if your soil is poorly drained.
Space
- Assess the amount of space you have available for your home bar. Whether it's a tiny windowsill planter or a specific spot in your garden, ensure you have enough space for your chosen plants to grow.
2. Planting and Care
Planting Techniques
- Follow the instructions on seed packets or tiny plant labels for proper planting depth and spacing. Some herbs, such as mint and basil, are best grown from cuttings or by purchasing young plants. Herbs and botanicals prefer slightly drier soil in general. Water your plants regularly, but avoid overwatering.
Pruning and Harvesting
- Pruning your plants regularly will encourage bushier growth and prevent them from becoming lanky. Harvest the leaves, blossoms, or seeds as needed for your home bar creations to give the plants time to regenerate.
3. Cocktail Garden Recipe Ideas
To prepare a typical mojito, muddle fresh mint leaves with lime juice and sugar, then add rum and soda water. Add a lime slice and a mint sprig as garnishing ideas. Lavender lemonade is a tasty and aromatic beverage made with fresh lavender flowers, lemon juice, sugar, and water. Garnish with a lavender sprig and pour over ice.
Combine gin, lime juice, simple syrup, and fresh basil leaves for a basil gin smash. Shake all ingredients together with ice before straining into an ice-filled glass. Add a lime wheel and a basil sprig as garnishing ideas.
Hosting Backyard Cocktail Parties
Show off your homegrown herbs and botanicals to your family and friends. A DIY cocktail station will allow guests to create their drinks using a selection of spirits, mixers, and garnishing ideas.
Provide a selection of non-alcoholic mocktails made with the same herbs and botanicals as the drinks. Provide recipe cards or a menu board with suggested drink ideas to encourage your guests to be creative with their creations. Get more tips and tricks for hosting cocktail parties at home only at The Bar’s website.
