The Ultimate Guide To Growing And Using Lemongrass In Drinks
Herbs have a significant role to play in the making of diverse alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Mixologists often incorporate several herbal and botanical ingredients for blending drinks in the form of syrups, infusions and garnishes to build their flavours into cocktails and mocktails.
One of the herbs that is often used in rather inventive and imaginative cocktails is lemongrass. The aromas and oils released by muddling lemongrass in drinks or by using it in an infused simple syrup bring a lot of depth into cocktails and mocktails.
In fact, lemongrass is used quite prominently in drinks that are inspired by Asian cuisine as its fragrance would remind one of the tasty repasts that are produced in this part of the world.
Lemongrass is also one of the simplest herbs to cultivate in one’s kitchen garden or backyard, especially if a mixologist is interested in tending to produce at home for using it in blending drinks. The herb requires just a bit of space to thrive so its stalks grow tall. It can be cultivated across different seasons too, making lemongrass one of the sought after ingredients in mixology.
Tips For Cultivating Lemongrass At Home
Plant Outdoors
One of the key tips for planting a lemongrass shrub at home is to cultivate it outdoors. If one has a small kitchen or terrace garden, reserve a patch solely for lemongrass in this space. Ensure the spot gets abundant sunlight because this herb thrives in sunshiny weather.
Lemongrass requires water regularly, so make sure there are sprinklers in the garden or simply water the plant every day to keep the soil moist.
Abundant sunlight and soil with healthy water content will play a major role in keeping a lemongrass bush healthy.
Use Store-Bought Stalks
Lemongrass can be planted by placing its stalks in some water until roots start sprouting. Once that happens, the stalks can be shifted into the garden in a deep bed.
If it is difficult to procure lemongrass seeds, go for store-bought stalks which can be used to cultivate the whole shrub. Stalks can be bought from green grocers or even from a local nursery.
Lemongrass is easy to cultivate so most nurseries house the shrub making it easy to procure.
Choose Deep Containers
This herb requires space because its roots tend to spread wide underneath the soil. Make sure the container which holds lemongrass is at least 12 inch wide and deep so the plant has ample space to grow.
Lemongrass stalks also tend to shoot high up so it needs its own patch in a kitchen garden. Harvest the herb after the stalks grow tall and wide enough to measure approximately half an arm’s length.
Lemongrass In Drinks
Lemongrass And Ginger Shrub
A clever way to use lemongrass in cocktails is to make a shrub out of the herb and ginger. Combine equal parts sugar and water and add to this mix chopped lemongrass and shaved ginger. Let the syrup sit overnight. Before straining, add apple cider vinegar to the blend and allow it to refrigerate.
Such an aromatic shrub brings a sharp acidity, tang and aroma into a cocktail or mocktail blend. It is ideal for sour cocktails and for infusing complexity into simple highball cocktails.
The shrub can be blended with 30 ml vodka and topped off with ginger beer to make a fizzy alcoholic drink.
Lemongrass Garnish
A more straightforward way to incorporate lemongrass into cocktails is to use the herb as a garnish. Lemongrass leaves can be twisted to give them a spiral or bow-like shape which can then be used to adorn highball cocktails or sour mocktails inspired by Asian herbs.
A lemongrass garnish builds into the aroma of various drinks and adds to them a distinctly sharp flavour.
Lemongrass Tea
An interesting way to use lemongrass in cocktails is to make a tea out of the herb which is then added to about 45 ml bourbon or rye whisky in the making of different variants of sour cocktails.
A few stalks of lemongrass can be boiled with water and some tea can be added to this for a deep, earthy brew. Such an infusion can be used with a dash of honey in different spritzers and fizzy drinks.
Drink responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
