A lemon or lime gin garnish is a classic that cannot be replaced, but with so many other ingredients now entering the gin world, the options are endless! Best of all, you can grow an array of garnishes from the comfort of your own home with ease. Spice up your G&Ts and impress your guests with beautiful gin creations with a blend of herbs, spices, fruits or even vegetables.
If you’re a lover of floral notes, Lavender is a great way to add a fragrant touch to your gin. It not only looks beautiful, but it can enhance the flavour of gin with lemon botanicals, simply add a stem of lavender when serving.
When to sow: March – May
The best time to plant Lavender is in the spring time. Lavender grows well within pots, specifically terracotta pots with plenty of drainage holes, once potted place in a sunny spot. To get more out of your plant, pruning is a must or it will become very woody resulting in few flowers, to avoid this prune after flowering, which is usually in August.
A fresh sprig of rosemary adds a savoury note and works well with herbal gins to bring out their flavours, team with a slice of grapefruit, to garnish a classic G&T.
Sow: Spring
Rosemary is easy to grow and is best planted within spring, it needs to be well-drained so potted works best to be able to control the soil moisture, it requires barely any maintenance, making it a perfect garnish for your gin.
Basil is an unusual gin garnish, but partnered with lemon creates a refreshing drink – perfect for the summer months to enjoy whilst soaking up the sun.
Sow: Late February to mid-summer
Basil is another easy herb to grow. Seeds are best sown indoors on a warm windowsill, and can be put outside in the summertime. Basil requires little water but its best to bring the pots indoors at night. Simply pick the leaves regularly and enjoy!
Mint is a great herb to grow at home, not only is fresh mint leaves a refreshing garnish on its own, it also pairs with so many other fruits. Pair with lemon, raspberries or cucumber and elderflower and many more, the options are endless!
Plant: April to mid June
We would recommend growing mint from cuttings or young plants and in pots! Mint has a habit of becoming invasive and by keeping in pots it gives you control over their growth. To get the best out of your mint, regularly take cuttings to stimulate regrowth.
Tip – Finely chop fresh mint leaves and add to an ice-cube tray and freeze, now you have mint at the ready.
Edible flowers make any drink look beautiful but they are not just for decoration, adding violas will add a perfumed taste to your gin, whereas nasturtiums will add a touch of spice!
Sow: January to April
You can grow Violas from seed, sow the seeds in pots or trays and cover lightly with damp potting mix. The seeds require darkness to germinate and will take 4-6 weeks before transplanting. Before planting outdoors permanently, they need to adjust to the temperature and sunlight, so it’s best to gradually introduce the plants to sunlight until they can be kept outdoors full time.
There’s something about gin and cucumber that just makes sense. A slice or a ribbon of cucumber is best paired with floral gins and creates a very refreshing drink.
Sow: March and April
Cucumbers are easy to grow from seed around early spring, or simply buy young plants. You can either grow outdoor cucumbers, which can be sowed directly outdoors in May/June or greenhouse cucumbers, which need a temperature of around 20ºC to germinate. Once the seedlings grow their first set of leaves, they can be then potted. Water regularly and once the cucumbers have grown, simply harvest and enjoy.
There are so many combinations of flavours that enhance your gin, let us know what choice of garnish you love to top your tipple! Tag us on social media @revelryspirits
