08 Jun Here’s how to grow your own cocktail ingredients
Growing your own cocktail ingredients doesn’t require a lot of space, unless you like to grow your own oranges and lemons.
A few plants in your windowsill or on your roof terrace look nice anyway but are also the gift that keeps on giving.
Coin
There are few plants that grow better than mint.
Actually, it is a stubborn (but wonderfully fragrant) weed that pushes everything away.
So it’s best to plant it in its own container.
If you need some, just cut away a branch completely, that makes room for new ones.
In spring, it is useful to thin out the container for a while, you will see that it is completely filled with roots.
A few cuttings is enough to have another whole season of fresh mint for your mojitos, mint julep or just a pot of fresh mint tea.
Be aware that there are many different varieties of mint.
Our advice: before buying a plant, rub a leaf between your fingers.
The sharper and more peppermint, the less suitable it is for your cocktails.
A soft and slightly sweet mint scent is really the best.
Celery
Indeed: for in your Bloody Mary.
The beauty of celery is that you only need to buy a stalk once to have celery for the rest of your life (in theory, that is).
You cut off the stems and put the stalk in a layer of water.
Already after a day you see that in the middle a small new plant starts to grow.
After about 3-4 days you put it in soil (e.g. a small greenhouse) and you can let it grow quietly.
In the meantime you can make quite a few Bloody Marys.
Strawberries
Because who doesn’t want a Strawberry Daiquiri on a summer day?
Growing strawberries is easy, even inside your kitchen.
Not only can you grow them in a pot or container (keep in mind aphids love strawberry plants), you can also hang them in pots underneath each other.
The strawberries will then not be in the earth, but suspended in the air and will not rot.
The tastiest varieties of strawberry to buy are the Korona, the Elsanta and the Elvira.
Helpful to plan: some varieties bloom early, others late.
Elvira is early, Elsanta is middle and the Korona goes from early to late.
Be sure to put some straw under the strawberries to prevent rotting.
Thyme
Beautiful as a garnish that gives off that extra bit of flavor and aroma in your cocktail.
Buy your plant in the supermarket, it grows fine indoors and outdoors.
Provide plenty of sun and not too wet soil.
Basil
We know all too well the frustration that your basil plant disappears totally wilted into the trash just a few days after purchase.
Yet this is fairly easy to prevent.
Always keep your plant in a bath of water and your plant will grow like crazy.
Cut off the entire stem if you need the leaves for a Gin Basil Smash, for example.
If you only pick off the nice big leaves you actually take away the “engine” of the plant, as these leaves give strength to the plant. Grown basil is actually in a container with too much, but of course that sells better, such a full container.
This makes it difficult to grow on.
You can also re-grow basil yourself from a plant.
Cut off a few stems (8 – 10 cm) and remove all the leaves except the top.
Put these in a glass of water and after a few days roots will grow from the sprigs.
You can then put these back into the ground.
Rosemary
This is an easy one: just buy a plant and put it in the ground, indoors or outdoors.
Always grows well and a wonderful garnish for your G&T or cocktail.
Rosemary likes slightly drier soil and lots of sun.
Ginger
This is a beautiful herb that you can easily grow yourself at home and which you can always use to give your cocktail a twist.
You can also make your own ginger syrup.
At a supermarket, pick out a nice piece of organic ginger that already has a few “eyes” on it.
This is where the ginger will grow from.
Cut off a piece of the root, so with one of those eyes, and put it in a bowl of water for a few hours.
Then put it in soil, such as a small greenhouse, with a thin layer of soil on top.
After all, it is a tropical plant species, so a little warmth will do it good. The root grows horizontally, so keep that in mind. Keep the soil moist (so not too wet) and after a few weeks leaves will start growing. after about 9 months the green will die and you can harvest the root. Ginger syrup: take a cup, measuring out 2 x water, 1/2 – 1 x sugar (to taste) and 1 x fill with thinly sliced ginger.
Bring to a boil and then turn on low to thicken (30 – 45 minutes).
Taste in between to make sure it is sweet enough.
Then strain it into a bottle.
You let this cool, then you can store it in the refrigerator.
Cucumber
Your best friend when making a Hendrick’s Gin & Tonic.
Cucumbers are not very easy to grow and they do take up a lot of space.
Because of its gradual growth, this plant is good for an entire season of fresh cucumbers.
But you have to have the space for it.
Cucumbers are pre-sown indoors, in a large pot (9 x 9 cm).
Before they can go outside, these plants are already quite bulky.
Use sowing or cutting soil, as the seeds cannot tolerate too much moisture.
The plant can eventually reach 150 cm in length and can creep or climb.
That choice is up to you, depending on the space you have available.
Complicating factor: there are male and female plants.
Only the females give cucumbers.
So always grow a few plants at a time.
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