Ah, summer! What a joy it is to be able to enjoy the days on the patio, and to share quality time with friends and family. And what better ways to spend these evenings than with a cool drink? A fresh drink made with the fruits, vegetables and herbs that grew from your garden!
Many vegetable plants are used in the creation of most Quebecois’ favorite drinks. Whether your taste is sweet, tart or even flora, you can easily grow what you need to make these drinks worthy of the greatest mixologists. Create a themed garden to have all of the fresh ingredients needed as you need them. Not only is it economical, your harvest is also maximized : no waste! Here are some ideas to spruce up your cocktails, mocktails, and water for the summer season.
Vegetables for cocktails
Some vegetables are very popular in different drinks. Cucumbers, or exemple, are synonymous with freshness. They combine perfectly with mint and strawberries, among others! Beans are also worth their weight in gold, as a decoration for your Bloody Mary, made with the tomatoes from your garden of course, but even better in a marinade. They give a punch to this drink everyone loves! To give a beautiful crimson colour, think beet. By simply adding a few slices to your shaker, you will get a beautifully coloured drink with a very subtle aftertaste.
Also try ginger. Yes, you can grow it here in Quebec! This spicy root has so many virtues, there’s no reason to go without it.
Fruits for cocktails
Fruits is in abondance – in fact, they can all be used to flavour your drinks. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, apples, pears… you name it! Plan them in quantity, you won’t lose anything! If you’re looking to switch things up, why not turn to saskatoon berries? This little tree produces bright orange, tart berries that are small vitamin C bombs. The Arctic kiwi can also be used to reinvent your classics, to your taste buds’ delight.
You will also find in garden centers limes, lemons, oranges and other citrus that enjoy our climate. Make them spend their summer outside so they can benefit from natural pollination and enjoy their delicious fruits. Make sure to get them back inside as soon as temperatures drop.
Herbs cocktails
Herbs are excellent friends for cocktails. Scented and refreshing, they enhance the flavours of any drink. Of course, basil and mint (beware, it is quite invading – grow it in pot) are must-haves, but lemon balm, lemongrass, lavender and rosemary also have their place in your cocktail themed garden. If you’ve never tried the watermelon-rosemary combination, you’ll want to stock up on these two products right away!
Have you heard of lovage? This herb, with its strong celery taste, has hollow stalks that can brilliantly act as a straw – a great eco-friendly alternative for your festive evenings.
If your herbs produce more than what you can use, the good news is, you’ll have them longer! Wash the leaves and place them in an ice tray full of water, then freeze it. You can use those ice cubes in your cocktails long after your harvest.
There’s no shortage of ideas for creating a vegetable garden that will also be useful to spice up your summer happy hours! Speaking of spices, peppers also have a beautiful place in many cocktails! We have a variety of vegetable plants, herbs, as well as trees and fruit trees ready to transform you into a great mixologist!
