5 Garden-to-Glass Cocktails Using Herbs You Can Grow

5 Garden-to-Glass Cocktails Using Herbs You Can Grow

There's something deeply satisfying about stepping into your garden, snipping a handful of fresh herbs, and transforming them into a beautiful cocktail. Whether you're a seasoned mixologist or simply enjoy a well-made drink on a summer evening, these five recipes celebrate the best of what a cottage garden has to offer.

1. Classic Mint Julep

A timeless Southern classic that lets fresh mint shine.

Ingredients:

  • 12–15 fresh mint leaves
  • 2 fl oz (60ml) bourbon
  • ½ fl oz (15ml) sugar syrup
  • Crushed ice
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Muddle the mint leaves with sugar syrup in a chilled metal cup. Add bourbon and bitters, pack with crushed ice, and stir until the cup frosts. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Growing tip: Mentha spicata (spearmint) is the traditional choice — plant it in a pot to keep it from taking over your borders.

Non-alcoholic version: Replace the bourbon with ginger beer and add a squeeze of lime.

2. Lavender Gin Fizz

Floral, fragrant, and utterly elegant.

Ingredients:

  • 2 fl oz (60ml) London Dry gin
  • ¾ fl oz (22ml) lavender syrup
  • ¾ fl oz (22ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 fl oz (60ml) soda water

Combine gin, lavender syrup, lemon juice, and egg white in a shaker. There's no ice used at this point. Combine ingredients and shake for 15 seconds, then add ice and shake again vigorously. Strain into a tall glass and top with soda water. Growing tip: Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' produces intensely fragrant flowers perfect for infusing into syrups.

Non-alcoholic version: Replace the gin with Seedlip Spice 94 or Lyre's Dry London Spirit. Replace the egg white with aquafaba (liquid from a tin of chickpeas) for an equally silky foam.

3. Rosemary & Grapefruit Paloma

A herbaceous twist on a Mexican favourite.

Ingredients:

  • 2 fl oz (60ml) tequila blanco
  • 3 fl oz (90ml) fresh grapefruit juice
  • ½ fl oz (15ml) rosemary syrup
  • Pinch of sea salt (for the rim)
  • Soda water to top

Salt the rim of a short wide-mouthed tumbler, fill with ice, and combine tequila, grapefruit juice, and rosemary syrup. Top with soda water and garnish with a rosemary sprig. Growing tip: Salvia rosmarinus Prostrata Group is a creeping rosemary with a milder, slightly sweeter flavour that works beautifully as a garnish.

Non-alcoholic version: Replace the tequila with Lyre's Agave Blanco or simply use extra sparkling water with a squeeze of lime for a refreshing herb-and-citrus spritz.

4. Basil Smash

Bright, green, and irresistibly fresh.

Ingredients:

  • 8–10 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 fl oz (60ml) gin
  • 1 fl oz (30ml) fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ fl oz (22ml) sugar syrup
  • Ice

Muddle basil leaves with sugar syrup in a shaker. Add gin, lemon juice, and ice, then shake vigorously. Double-strain into a short wide-mouthed tumbler over fresh ice. Growing tip: Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) loves warmth — grow it in a sunny windowsill or sheltered patio container for the best flavour.

Non-alcoholic version: Replace the gin with Seedlip Garden 108 or a splash of elderflower cordial topped up with sparkling water. The basil and lemon still shine beautifully without the alcohol.

5. Thyme & Honey Bee's Knees

A Prohibition-era classic reimagined with garden thyme.

Ingredients:

  • 2 fl oz (60ml) gin
  • ¾ fl oz (22ml) fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ fl oz (22ml) thyme-infused honey syrup
  • 2–3 fresh thyme sprigs (plus one to garnish)
  • Ice

Combine gin, lemon juice, and thyme honey syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a small thyme sprig. Growing tip: Thymus vulgaris is wonderfully hardy and low-maintenance — tuck it along a path edge where brushing past releases its aromatic oils.

Non-alcoholic version: Replace the gin with Lyre's Dry London Spirit or combine the thyme honey syrup and lemon juice with sparkling water for a delicate herb lemonade.

Making Your Syrups

A good homemade syrup is the secret to a well-balanced cocktail. Here's how to make the three used in these recipes.

Simple sugar syrup (for the Mint Julep and Basil Smash)
Combine 8 fl oz (240ml) water and 7 oz (200g) caster sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Remove from heat, cool, and bottle. Keeps for 2 weeks at room temperature.

Lavender or rosemary syrup (for the Gin Fizz and Paloma)
Follow the sugar syrup recipe above. Once the sugar has dissolved, add either 2–3 tbsp dried culinary lavender (or 4–5 tbsp fresh flowers), or 4–5 fresh rosemary sprigs. Bring to a gentle simmer for 2–3 minutes, then remove from heat and steep for 20–30 minutes — taste as you go, as longer steeping intensifies the flavour. Strain through a fine sieve or muslin, cool, and bottle. Keeps refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Lavender tip: Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' or 'Vera' are the best culinary varieties. Avoid lavandin (L. × intermedia) — it can taste bitter and medicinal. For rosemary, steep for no more than 15–20 minutes to avoid a piney, astringent finish.

Thyme-infused honey syrup (for the Bee's Knees)
Gently warm 4 fl oz (120ml) water with 6 oz (170g) runny honey over a low heat — don't boil, just stir until fully combined. Add 4–5 fresh thyme sprigs, remove from heat, and steep for 20–30 minutes. Strain, cool, and bottle. Keeps refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Grow Your Own Cocktail Garden

All five herbs featured here are easy to grow in the UK climate and make beautiful additions to a cottage garden or kitchen border. We grow rosemary and mint here at Hardy's — both available in the nursery when you next visit. We hope you enjoy making these as much as we enjoyed writing them. Cheers! 🌿

Back to blog