Sips & Synopsis - This Weeks Makings

• Weekly Theme - Herb to Glass

• Trivia Question

• Drink of the Week - Mint Lime Mojito Smash

• Mocktail Moment: Cilantro Lime Agua Fresca

• From Garden Snips to Cocktail Sips

☀️ What’s in Your Glass This Week...

It’s the peak of summer, and the garden is overflowing with fresh herbs - basil, thyme, mint, cilantro. These little flavor heroes can transform any cocktail into something vibrant and unique. This week, we’re showcasing:

✔️ 3 herb-forward cocktails bursting with garden flavor
✔️ 1 bright, non-alcoholic herb mocktail
✔️ A story about harvesting herbs to elevate your mixology game
✔️ 2 clever finds to upgrade your herb bar
✔️ Trivia & a quote that leaves you feeling rooted in summer

From backyard harvest to harvest-worthy cocktails ~ let’s get stirring.

Trivia Question❓

Which herb - mint, basil, or thyme did the ancient Greeks associate with courage and strength?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

🍋 Drink of the Week: Mint Lime Mojito Smash

Sweet, crisp, and summer in a glass.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz white rum

• 1 oz fresh lime juice

• 0.75 oz simple syrup

• 8 fresh mint leaves

• Club soda to top

• Garnish: mint sprig

Directions:

1. Gently muddle mint leaves with simple syrup and lime juice.

2. Add rum and ice, then shake lightly.

3. Strain into a glass over fresh ice.

4. Top with club soda, garnish, and sip paradise.

🌿 Bonus Herb-Centric Cocktails

1. Basil Strawberry Fizz

• Ingredients: 1.5 oz gin, 1 oz lemon juice, 0.75 oz basil syrup, 3 sliced strawberries, soda top

• Directions: Muddle strawberries with basil syrup, add gin & lemon juice, shake with ice, strain, top with soda, garnish with basil leaf.

2. Thyme & Grapefruit Gin Spritz

• Ingredients: 2 oz gin, 1 oz grapefruit juice, 0.5 oz thyme syrup, soda top

• Directions: Shake gin, grapefruit juice, thyme syrup with ice; strain into glass, top with soda, garnish with fresh thyme sprig.

Mocktail Moment - Cilantro Lime Agua Fresca

Bright, zesty, and unexpectedly refreshing.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz lime juice

• 0.5 oz agave syrup

• 3–4 cilantro sprigs

• 4 oz cold water or soda water

• Garnish: cilantro sprig

Directions:

1. Muddle cilantro with lime juice and agave syrup.

2. Add water/soda and ice, stir gently.

3. Garnish with cilantro sprig and sip green goodness.

From Garden Snips to Cocktail Sips 🌱

A few evenings ago, I wandered out to where we grow our herbs and snipped a handful of mint, basil, and thyme - right when the sun was beginning to dip. That aromatic moment planted an idea: why not build the week’s drinks around what’s freshest?

So I grabbed strawberries, lime, and a bottle of gin, and went to work. In less than 10 minutes I had sipped my way through three herb-forward cocktail tests - each one a reminder of why homegrown herbs are the secret ingredient to a killer glass.

There’s something deeply satisfying in taking something from your own backyard, combining it with hand-picked fruit, and turning it into a drink that tastes like summer. Garden-to-glass feels like culinary art, and it’s maybe the most organic way to drink beautifully, all season long.

Herb-Forward Gear Picks

1. Microplane Herb Scissors
   Price: $9.99
   Snip basil and mint into perfect ribbons - no bruising, no mess.

2. Herb Keeper with Water Reservoir
   Price: $24.95
   Keeps your snips fresh all week - no fridge wilt on those garden gems.

These tools won’t clutter your bar, they’ll elevate it, and keep your glass as fresh as the season.