Cocktails with Aromatic Herbs: 4 Botanical Cocktail Recipes

4 Recipes for Herbal and Spiced Cocktails and Liqueurs, Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic

Aromatic herbs are one of the cornerstones of Mediterranean and international cuisine, along with spices, an excellent ingredient useful for enhancing and enriching both simple and more complex dishes with fresh and distinctive flavors. But aromatic herbs and botanicals are also a great addition to the preparation of unusual drinks, fresh and spicy cocktails, refreshing yet unique, useful for adding an extra touch to your aperitifs and getting ready for the arrival of summer. Andrea Peconio, born in 1989, bartender, consultant, and trainer, has proposed four gourmet cocktail recipes prepared with various aromatic herbs. Let's discover together how to make them.

Herbal Drinks - From the Garden to Mixology

From mint, sage, rosemary, thyme to roots like gentian and rhodiola, flowers like lavender and helichrysum, the aromatic herbs that we often grow in pots in the kitchen to enrich our dishes can become an unexpected ingredient in many drinks and cocktails, inserted in preparations of special syrups, vinegars, and shrubs or infused to create versatile bases. Thanks to the skill of Andrea Peconio, bartender and consultant and trainer in mixology, we propose how to best use these special ingredients in 4 botanical cocktail recipes made with herbs usually used in cooking, discovering some unusual preparations to use in your customized drinks, whether you are mixology experts or simple enthusiasts trying their hand at homemade cocktail and liqueur preparation.

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Drink 1: Fresh Mediterranean - Cocktail with Mint and Lavender

Mint is perhaps one of the most used herbs in cocktails: just think of the classic mojito, or the many drinks that feature it as a fresh and summery garnish. Andrea Peconio proposes a drink made with a bitter with lavender and spearmint and a rose soda. This cocktail is particularly suitable for summer, as it is made with "cooling" herbs, refreshing, which relieve body heat. It is an excellent drink to sip on the hottest days, to relax and regain well-being. Mint, lavender, and rose are also very suitable for combating headaches and returning to mental clarity, especially on days when we feel the fatigue of work or hours spent in front of the computer.

We propose two variants: a more complex one, to be served at the bar or dedicated to those who want to try their hand at preparing a cocktail like a true bartender, and a more homely one, to be prepared at the end of a long summer day or shared with friends.

Did you know? Nana Mint, Nana or Nanà is the classic Egyptian mint, used in mint green tea that can be found in many Arab countries. Buy nana mint on Terza Luna.

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Cocktail Fresh Mediterranean: Recipe for Bartender

Ingredients

• 3 cl of tequila
• 2.5 cl of lime juice
• 2 teaspoons of muscovado sugar
• 2 teaspoons of lavender and nana mint aromatic bitter
• Rose Soda
• Salt
• Pink Pepper
• Dill

Preparation

Shake all the ingredients, except the rose soda. Strain everything, add the rose soda and pour into a Collins glass rimmed with a crust of salt, pink pepper, and dill.

Cocktail Fresh Mediterranean: Homemade Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cl of tequila
• 2.5 cl of rose syrup
• 2.5 cl of lavender and dwarf mint bitter
• Tonic water or kombucha
• Salt
• Pink pepper
• Dill

Preparation

Shake all the ingredients in a shaker. Strain and pour into a glass rimmed with a crust of salt, pink pepper, and dill.

 

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Lavender and Dwarf Mint Bitter

In the Fresh Mediterranean cocktail, we used an aromatic bitter with lavender and dwarf mint. The preparation of this bitter is very simple and will allow you to obtain a product to use in different variations of this drink or other preparations.

To make it, you will need:

• 20 cl of Vodka
• 5 grams of Lavender
• 2 grams of Dwarf Mint

Preparation

• Infuse the vodka, lavender, and dwarf mint in a sealed jar. Let it infuse for 5 days.
• Strain and transfer to a clean jar.

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In the preparation of the cocktail with mint and lavender, a rose soda is used in the bar version and a rose syrup in the homemade version. Let's see how to make them, both using dried rose buds.

Rose Soda

Ingredients

• 1 liter of water
• 15 grams of rose buds

Preparation

• Infuse the rose buds in a liter of 100°C water for 10 minutes.
• Strain, letting the rose infusion cool down.
• Pour the liquid into a soda siphon, loaded with a CO2 cartridge.

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Rose Syrup

Ingredients

• 15 grams of rose buds
• 1 liter of water
• 2 kg of sugar

Preparation

• Infuse the rose buds in water at 100°C for 10 minutes.
• Strain and transfer to a pot. Add sugar (in a 2:1 ratio to water), mix over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Let it cool and bottle it.

 

Drink 2: Coffee and Chilly - Cocktail with Sage, Jalapeño, and Cacao Nibs

This cocktail combines the bitterness of cacao nibs with the acidity of vinegar flavored with sage and jalapeño. It is suitable for all lovers of acidic flavors but also has energizing and aphrodisiac properties thanks to the cacao nibs and sage. Since it contains natural and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, the Coffee and Chilly will also be a cocktail with probiotic properties. The jalapeño gives this drink a spicy touch, complementing the other aromatic herbs present in this preparation.

Ingredients

• Single-origin Arabica coffee
• Cacao nibs
• Sparkling water
• 1 cl of apple cider vinegar flavored with wild sage and jalapeño

Preparation

• Mix the coffee powder with finely chopped cacao nibs and extract it with a moka pot. You will need 6 cl. Add sugar to the extraction, in an amount equal to the grams of coffee, to create a coffee syrup.
• Add 1 cl of sage and jalapeño flavored vinegar, pour all the ingredients directly into a Collins glass with ice.
• Garnish with mint or sage leaves.

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Sage and Jalapeño Flavored Vinegar

The flavored vinegar with sage and jalapeño used in the Coffee and Chilly cocktail is very easy to make, and can be used for creating unique cocktails, as well as a dressing for salads and other summer dishes.

To make it, you will need:

• 250 grams of apple cider vinegar
• 5 grams of jalapeño
• 7 grams of sage

Combine all the ingredients in a jar and let it macerate for 4 days.

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Drink 3: Awakening - Cocktail with Rosemary and Thyme Flavored Honey

This cocktail combines the aroma of thyme and rosemary with the sweetness of honey and the acidity of lime to create an energizing and refreshing drink. Thyme and rosemary also have antibiotic and respiratory protective properties, so you can also consider a hot version of the same drink, to be enjoyed on winter evenings to warm up and decongest the body.

Ingredients

• 5 cl of vodka
• Half a lime
• 2 cl of thyme flavored honey
• 2 drops of rosemary essential oil

Preparation

• Muddle the cubed lime in a tumbler with a muddler or pestle.
• Add the thyme flavored honey and vodka.
• Fill the glass with crushed ice, mix all the ingredients, and add the two drops of rosemary essential oil.
• Garnish with a lime wheel.

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Hot Version

For winter, Andrea Peconio suggests a hot version of the same drink, which takes advantage of the anti-inflammatory properties of aromatic herbs. To prepare it, you will need:

• 5 cl of vodka
• 2 cl of lime juice
• 2.5 cl of thyme flavored honey
• 4 drops of rosemary essential oil
• Sweet Paprika

Procedure

• Pour all the ingredients except for the paprika and rosemary essential oil into a saucepan. Heat until a maximum temperature of 50°C and pour into a teacup.

• Add the rosemary essential oil and finish with a light dusting of sweet paprika.

Did you know? Pimenton de la Vera is a type of smoked paprika originating from Spain. On Terza Luna, you can find for sale an organic pimenton in sweet, bittersweet, and spicy versions. **Honey Mix with Thyme** In the recipe for this thyme-flavored cocktail, a mix of thyme honey is used. Let's see how to prepare it: **Ingredients** - 25 cl of Wildflower Honey - 25 cl of water - Two sprigs of thyme **Procedure** - Infuse the thyme in 25 cl of water for 10 minutes. - Strain the infusion and add it to the honey, keeping in mind that the ratio between the two should be 1:1. - Stir until you have a homogeneous liquid. Bottle and store. **Drink 4 - Gentian Liqueur** A little-known herb is gentian, with which you can prepare an excellent liqueur. The recipe we propose is also suitable for being made with botanicals and aromatic herbs other than gentian root, which, however, is an excellent restorative thanks to its digestive and hepatic purifying properties, great for combating physical exhaustion. Let's see how to prepare a perfect gentian liqueur. **Ingredients** - 1 liter of good quality still white wine - 45 grams of gentian root - 125 grams of sugar - 250 ml of pure alcohol **Procedure** - Pour the white wine and gentian root into a large airtight container. Let it macerate in a dark and dry place for about 40 days. - After 40 days, filter the liquid and transfer it to a second jar, where sugar and pure alcohol will be added. - Mix everything, obtaining a homogeneous liqueur. - Pour into a glass bottle and store in the refrigerator. **Also Read:** - 10 Cocktails with Tea and Spices for Bartenders and Mixologists - Thai Iced Tea: How to Prepare It - Iced Matcha Latte: Recipe - Elderflowers: Properties, Uses in the Kitchen, and Recipes