6 Cocktails of Summer with Herbs Straight from the Garden

Cocktails! What could be more refreshing of a summer’s evening? Prune back your herb plants and enjoy an array of refreshing tipples bursting with flavor: These six fresh seasonal cocktail recipes integrate basil, mint, lemon verbena, rosemary, thyme and sage with summer fruits that are in their prime, like watermelon and blackberries. Click the links to get the recipes from cooking blogs like The Kitchn and Olivéa.

Grapefruit Basil Spritzer

Basil’s naturally citrusy flavor pairs exceptionally well with the sweet-tartness of grapefruit. Your choice of coconut nectar or agave tones down the mouth-puckering sourness of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, which is mixed with vodka and a splash of club soda. Get the recipe at The Talking Kitchen.

Watermelon Mojito

If there’s a single fruit ambassador of summer, it’s watermelon. In this classic cocktail once served at New York City’s iconic Tavern on the Green, it’s blended with well-muddled fresh mint, lime juice and rum.

Lemon Verbena and Orange Blossom Fizz

The intensely floral and citrusy flavor of orange blossom water is the star of this cocktail by The Kitchn, so use it sparingly enough to appreciate the more delicate flavors of a handful of crushed lemon verbena leaves.

Gin with Lemon and Rosemary

Rosemary and gin were meant to be, especially considering how well this evergreen herb complements the scent and flavor of juniper berries. Though these herbs are more wintery in nature, they’re brought together with lemon for a refreshing warm-weather drink in this recipe by chefs John Broening and Yasmin Lozada-Hisson of Olivéa.

Blood Orange and Thyme Paloma Cocktail

The classic Paloma, a mexican cocktail of tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice and club soda, gets a fresh seasonal update in this droolworthy recipe from Aida Mollenkamp. Blood orange soda replaces the grapefruit for a slightly sweeter, bolder flavor, balanced by the earthiness of thyme.

Blackberry Sage Cooler

Here’s a non-alcoholic recipe that can be left as-is for non-drinkers, or modified with the spirit of your choice. Fresh sage infuses sweet simple syrup, which is then blended with pureed blackberries and club soda.