Cocktail Hour

Worn out after a long workday? It’s cocktail time! Use mint, lemon verbena, and lavender to mix up some summer drinks. These fresh herbs can be added to a pitcher of iced tea or lemonade. Add a jigger (or two) of vodka or rum, and voila! You’re feeling cooler already. For more intense flavor, muddle fresh herbs in individual glasses before adding the mixer and liquor. Or, try steeping herbs in simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water cooked over medium heat until sugar is fully dissolved) to add an intense herb flavor to almost any sweet drink. And of course, rubbing a mint or lemon verbena leaf around the rim of a cocktail glass is an easy way to make a cocktail extra special.
Gardener’s Note: If growing lemon verbena, it is best to harvest the leaves in the morning when they have the highest concentration of oil and are the most flavorful. If you water lemon verbena well, it will grow until the first frost and keep you in cocktails until November!