Recipes
Seasonal Recipes from the Garden
Cocktails, mocktails, syrups, preserves, and garden-inspired creations rooted in what is growing right now.
- 2 oz vodka
- 4–5 fresh strawberries, hulled
- 🌱 4 fresh basil leaves
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
- 2 oz soda water
- 4–5 fresh strawberries, hulled
- 🌱 4 fresh basil leaves
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
- 3 oz sparkling water
- 1 oz white grape juice
Muddle strawberries and basil in a shaker. Add lemon juice and simple syrup, fill with ice, shake well. Strain into a rocks glass over ice, top with soda water. Garnish with a basil leaf and strawberry slice.
- 2 oz gin
- 🌱 4 thin cucumber slices
- 🌱 6 fresh mint leaves
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- 4 oz tonic water
- 🌱 4 thin cucumber slices
- 🌱 6 fresh mint leaves
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
- 5 oz tonic water
Muddle cucumber and mint gently in a glass — don't overwork it. Fill with ice, add gin and lime, top with tonic. Give it one slow stir. Garnish with a cucumber ribbon and mint sprig.
- 1 oz vodka
- 🌸 ¾ oz lavender syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- 3 oz prosecco
- Splash of soda water
- 🌸 ¾ oz lavender syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey
- 4 oz sparkling water
Combine vodka (or skip), lavender syrup, and lemon juice in a shaker with ice. Shake, strain into a wine or tall glass over ice, top with prosecco or sparkling water. Garnish with a lavender sprig and lemon wheel.
Lavender syrup: Simmer 1 cup water + 1 cup sugar + 2 tbsp dried lavender for 5 min. Cool and strain.
- 2 oz tequila blanco
- 3 oz fresh watermelon juice
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- ½ oz agave syrup
- 🌱 2–3 jalapeño slices
- Tajín rim
- 3 oz fresh watermelon juice
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- ½ oz agave syrup
- 🌱 2–3 jalapeño slices
- 3 oz sparkling water
- Tajín rim
Muddle jalapeño in shaker. Add remaining ingredients (except sparkling water for mocktail), fill with ice, shake hard. Strain into a tajín-rimmed glass over ice. Top mocktail with sparkling water. Garnish with a watermelon wedge and jalapeño slice.
- 2 oz gin
- 🌱 ¾ oz fresh thyme syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- 🌱 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 🌱 ¾ oz fresh thyme syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
- 4 oz soda water
Combine gin (or skip), thyme syrup, and lime in a shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a coupe or rocks glass. Garnish with a rosemary sprig — lightly slap it between your palms first to release the oils.
Thyme syrup: Simmer 1 cup water + 1 cup sugar + 8–10 fresh thyme sprigs for 5 min. Cool and strain.
- 2 oz bourbon
- 2 oz fresh peach purée (or 3–4 slices muddled)
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz honey syrup (1:1 honey + warm water)
- 🌱 2 sprigs lemon thyme
- 3 oz peach nectar
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz honey syrup
- 🌱 2 sprigs lemon thyme
- 3 oz ginger beer
Muddle lemon thyme in shaker. Add peach, lemon juice, honey syrup, and bourbon. Fill with ice, shake well. Strain into a rocks glass over ice. Top mocktail with ginger beer. Garnish with a peach slice and thyme sprig.
- 2 oz tequila blanco
- 🌸 1 oz hibiscus syrup
- 2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
- ½ oz fresh lime juice
- 2 oz sparkling water
- Salt rim
- 🌸 2 oz strong brewed hibiscus tea, cooled
- 2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
- ½ oz fresh lime juice
- ½ oz agave syrup
- 3 oz sparkling water
- Salt rim
Salt the rim of a tall glass. Fill with ice. Combine tequila (or tea), hibiscus syrup, grapefruit, and lime in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into glass, top with sparkling water. Garnish with a grapefruit slice.
Hibiscus syrup: Simmer 1 cup water + 1 cup sugar + ¼ cup dried hibiscus flowers for 10 min. Cool and strain.
- 2 oz white rum
- ½ cup fresh blueberries
- 🌱 8 fresh mint leaves
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
- 3 oz soda water
- ½ cup fresh blueberries
- 🌱 8 fresh mint leaves
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
- 5 oz coconut water or sparkling water
Muddle blueberries and mint in a shaker. Add lemon juice, simple syrup, and rum. Fill with ice, shake well. Strain into a tall glass over ice, top with soda water. Garnish with a mint sprig and a few whole blueberries.
- 2 oz vodka
- 🌱 4 oz heirloom tomato water
- ½ oz fresh lemon juice
- 2 dashes hot sauce
- 1 tsp prepared horseradish
- Pinch of celery salt + cracked pepper
- 🌱 Drizzle of fresh basil oil
- 🌱 4 oz heirloom tomato water
- ½ oz fresh lemon juice
- 2 dashes hot sauce
- 1 tsp horseradish
- Pinch of celery salt + cracked pepper
- 🌱 Drizzle of basil oil
Combine all ingredients except basil oil in a shaker with ice. Roll gently between shaker and glass — don't shake hard. Pour into a tall glass over ice. Drizzle basil oil on top. Garnish with cherry tomatoes on a skewer and a celery stalk.
Tomato water: Blend ripe heirloom tomatoes, strain through cheesecloth overnight in the fridge. Basil oil: Blend 1 cup fresh basil + ½ cup neutral oil, strain.
- 1½ oz gin
- ¾ oz elderflower liqueur (St-Germain)
- 🌱 4 thin cucumber slices
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
- 1 egg white* (or ½ oz aquafaba)
- 2 oz soda water
- 🌱 4 thin cucumber slices
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz elderflower tonic or cordial
- ½ oz simple syrup
- ½ oz aquafaba
- 3 oz soda water
Muddle cucumber in shaker. Add gin (or skip), elderflower, lemon, simple syrup, and egg white/aquafaba. Dry shake first (no ice) for 15 seconds to build the foam. Add ice, shake again. Strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass, top slowly with soda water. The foam will rise — let it settle before garnishing with a cucumber slice.
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 🌸 2 tbsp dried lavender buds
Combine water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves — don't boil. Add lavender buds, remove from heat, steep 20–30 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Cool completely, bottle, and refrigerate.
- 2 oz bourbon
- 🌱 ¾ oz homegrown plum simple syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz Amaro Nonino (optional)
- 1 egg white (optional)
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 🌱 ¾ oz homegrown plum simple syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz aquafaba
- 4 oz chilled hibiscus tea
- 2 dashes aromatic bitters
Dry shake with egg white (no ice, 15 sec). Add ice, shake hard 12 sec. Double-strain into a chilled coupe. Dot with Angostura bitters and drag a toothpick through the foam.
Plum syrup: simmer 1 lb pitted plums + 1 cup sugar + 1 cup water 20 min. Strain. Keeps 3–4 weeks refrigerated.
- 🌱 1 oz homegrown plum simple syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- 4 oz sparkling water
- 🌱 Fresh mint sprig — garnish
- Lemon wheel — garnish
Build over ice in a highball glass. Add syrup and lemon juice, stir briefly. Top gently with sparkling water poured down the inside of the glass. Slap a mint sprig and press into the drink.
Make ahead for a crowd: mix syrup and lemon in a pitcher, refrigerate. Add sparkling water per glass at serving to preserve carbonation.
- 🌱 1 lb (450g) fresh plums, pitted
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
Combine plums, sugar, and water. Simmer 20 min until plums break down. Strain through fine mesh, pressing solids. Cool, seal, refrigerate. Keeps 3–4 weeks; freeze for up to 6 months.
Pull one pound of plums before the sugar goes into the jam pot — one harvest, two products. Makes ~1.5 cups.
- 🌱 5.6 lb (2.54 kg) pitted plums
- 3.75 lb (1.7 kg) granulated sugar
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 cinnamon stick (during cooking)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (after cooking)
Cook plums with lemon juice until soft. Add sugar gradually, bring to a rolling boil. Cook 20–35 min until set (220°F / plate test). Fill sterilized jars, leave ¼-inch headspace. Water-bath 10 min. Keeps 1 year sealed.
Adjust processing time for altitude per current USDA guidelines. Yields 5–6 pints or 8–10 half-pint jars.
- 2 oz white rum
- 🌱 ¾ oz homegrown mint simple syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- 2 oz soda water
- 🌱 Fresh mint sprig + lime wheel
- 🌱 ¾ oz mint simple syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- 1 oz coconut water
- 4 oz soda water
- 🌱 Fresh mint sprig + lime wheel
Build over ice in a highball glass. Add rum, mint syrup, and lime juice — stir briefly. Top gently with soda water poured down the inside of the glass. Slap a mint sprig and press into the drink.
No muddling required. Mint syrup gives a cleaner, more consistent result than muddled fresh mint.
- 🌱 ¾ oz homegrown mint simple syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- 4 oz sparkling water
- 🌱 Fresh mint sprig + lime wheel
Build over ice in a highball glass. Add mint syrup and lime juice, stir briefly. Top gently with sparkling water. Slap a mint sprig and press into the drink. Serve immediately.
Scale for a crowd: mix syrup and lime in a pitcher ahead of time. Add sparkling water per glass at serving to preserve carbonation.
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 🌱 Large handful of fresh mint (stems and all)
Combine water and sugar over medium heat, stir until dissolved, remove from heat. Add mint and steep 15–20 minutes — longer for stronger flavor. Strain and press the mint to extract all the liquid. Cool, bottle, refrigerate.
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 🌱 6–8 fresh thyme or rosemary sprigs
Combine water and sugar, heat until dissolved. Add sprigs and simmer gently 5 minutes. Remove from heat, steep another 10 minutes, then taste. Strain well — rosemary gets bitter if over-steeped. Cool, bottle, refrigerate.
- 2 oz bourbon
- 🌱 ¾ oz rosemary syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz egg white* or aquafaba (optional)
- 🌱 Rosemary sprig + orange peel
- 🌱 ¾ oz rosemary syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
- ½ oz aquafaba
- 3 oz sparkling water
Dry shake with egg white first (no ice, 15 sec). Add ice, shake again. Strain into a rocks glass over a large cube. Express an orange peel over the drink before garnishing. Slap the rosemary sprig and lay across the rim.
Rosemary syrup: Simmer 1 cup water + 1 cup sugar + 6–8 rosemary sprigs 5 min. Steep 10 min. Strain. Keeps 2–3 weeks.
Raw Egg Advisory: Some recipes on this page contain raw egg white. Consuming raw or undercooked eggs may increase the risk of foodborne illness, particularly for pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. Use pasteurized eggs to reduce this risk, or substitute aquafaba (chickpea liquid) as an egg-free alternative.
From the Blog
Drink responsibly. Every mocktail on this site is just as good as the cocktail version. Enjoy the garden. Enjoy the bar. Be safe, be kind, and look after each other.