From the garden

Going green doesn’t always have to be about the environment. These tasty cocktails make the most of summer herbs.

Cook with the seasons” is mantra that can just as readily be adapted to the bar. By using locally grown fruits and vegetables in cocktails, you can also “mix with the seasons.” And it doesn’t get any more local than your own herb garden.

To make the most of this fragrant bounty, we’ve got five summery cocktails infused with fresh herbs. The classic muddling method is used to blend basil and blueberries into our spin on a Bramble. We also bash dill and cucumber together to flavour a revelatory Vodka Martini. A mound of tarragon is whizzed into Simple Syrup to sweeten the Garden Rickey, a verdant and refreshing Gin Highball perfumed with elderflower liqueur. And just in time for Canada Day, we steep thyme in maple syrup for the frosty, rye-spiked Great Canadian Julep. Finally, cilantro joins forces with jalapeño to spice up tequila for the zippy, pineapple-based Piña Brava.