Mixologist Cole Benoit shares cocktail recipes from your garden
Mixologist Cole Benoit provides tips and two drink recipes made from fresh garden herbs
If you've only ever thought of your garden as a place for flowers or food, consider reaping its yield for cocktails.
Mixologist Cole Benoit says it's a way to create classic drinks with an eccentric twist.
"Herbs are a simple way to start," he told CBC Radio One's The Early Edition. "Fruits and vegetables are good too. You can even get into botanicals."
Here are his tips on how to handle the harvest that make it into your drinks
1. Muddle Gently
"You don't ever want to pulverize [herbs], that's a myth," said Benoit, who recommends against muddlers with "teeth" at the bottom.
"We just want the oils out of the herbs. We don't want to get the chlorophyll out which will make it taste bitter and plant-tasting."
2. Sugar syrups
Benoit suggests gently pressing on herbs with sugar syrups to further bring out their flavours.
3. Try fir tips
Benoit says early in the spring is a good time to pick fir tree tips when they are still delicate and a light green colour.
"If you use fresh fir tips, they're actually not pine tasting. They're a lot more floral than if you were to pick a hearty part of the tree."
4. Make a shrub
By shrub, Benoit means those of the preserved variety.
"A shrub is a way of preserving fresh fruit by soaking it in vinegar — you're kind of pickling the fruit."
He says after you strain the fruits, use the infused vinegar for your cocktails.
Strawberry Mint Shrub
Ingredients:
- 680 g very ripe strawberries, hulled and halved
- Leaves from 10 sprigs of fresh mint
- 800 g white sugar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 960 ml apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar or a combination of the two
Combine the strawberries, mint, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Let this mixture macerate for about four hours, covered, stirring occasionally.
Once the sugar has dissolved, place the mixture in the fridge for eight to 16 hours.
Add the vinegar and stir thoroughly. Refrigerate for one to two more days.
Strain the mixture and bottle. It will keep for up to four months.
Pairs well with almost any spirit. Benoit suggests tequila.
Brush Fire
Ingredients:
- 1.5 ounces (45 ml) blanco tequila
- 0.75 ounces (22.5 ml) Campari
- 0.5 ounces (15 ml) sweet vermouth
- 0.25 ounces (7.5 ml) meyer lemon thyme syrup*
- 2 dashes aromatic bitters
- Sprig of thyme (garnish)
Method:
Add the ingredients to a mixing glass and stir for 30 seconds.
Strain into a rocks glass that contains a large ice cube and garnish with a sprig of thyme.
Makes 1 drink
With files from the CBC's The Early Edition and Margaret Gallagher.
To hear the full story listen to the audio labelled: Mixology and your garden