Homegrown Bar Cart Freshen up your hostess game! Simple Goodness Sisters Belinda Kelly and Venise Cunningham invite you to veer from your usual mixers and try a more hand-picked approach. Seasoned pros at choosing joy and starting new ventures, their company evolved from a blog about motherhood and farming to a nationally distributed syrup company and brick-and-mortar soda shop. Check out their how-to, and bring a dash of DIY to your cocktail party.
The holidays are often filled with celebrations and festive libations. If you’re entertaining this season, treat your guests to a homegrown bar cart. With a simple herb garden, you can offer garden-to-glass cocktails and mocktails made with the freshest ingredients. Stock your cocktail station with everything needed for your company to mix one or two easy recipes. It’s a dazzling way to provide an activity for party-goers and free the host from drink-making duty.
Step 1: Start Your Garden
Nothing beats the taste of garden-fresh herbs, and they’re easier to grow than you might think. A variety of flavorful herbs can be grown in any yard or planter box. Even a pot on a kitchen windowsill will do. Rosemary, thyme, mint, basil, and chamomile are great choices to start.
Step 2: Make a Garden Infused Simple Syrup
Crafting your own syrups, tinctures, shrubs, bitters, and infused liquors is simple and fun. These preservation methods were created before refrigeration; little is required beyond a stove, a place to dry herbs, and a basic recipe. You can experiment with different infusion ingredients. Try peeled and chopped fruit, vegetables, herb leaves, edible flowers, tea leaves, or toasted spices. Mix and match for your own unique combo and enjoy fresh creations year-round. Homegrown syrups, shrubs, and liqueurs also make for beautiful holiday and hostess gifts.
In a medium saucepan, bring sugar and water to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar.
Add clean infusion ingredients and set heat to low to allow flavors to infuse into the syrup until you’ve reached the desired potency.
Strain the syrup into a bowl using a fine mesh colander or sieve.
Transfer the syrup into a clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, such as a mason jar or recycled dressing jar. When you’re ready for a refreshing drink, try 1 part syrup to 4-6 parts club soda.
Step 3: Time to Raise a Glass
Once you’ve grown your herbs and made a few infused simple syrups, you’re ready to stock your homegrown bar cart. Here are five important items to supply:
Homegrown infused simple syrups: It’s best to put them in bottles that are easy to pour from as needed. Look for swing-top bottles, the kind used for some kombuchas and beers. Find these online or at home-brew stores.
Your favorite spirits: Include a selection of light and dark liquors. Bonus points if you infuse any with your garden-harvested ingredients!
Sparkling water: Club soda or other soft drinks work great. Fresh fruit and vegetable slices: Acidic fruits like oranges, lemons, berries, and apples make wonderful flavor pairings. Cucumbers are another favorite. Garnishes: These can include more fresh herbs, cranberries, cocktail cherries, cinnamon sticks, dried citrus, or candied ginger.
With so many options, merrymakers will delight in crafting their own custom flavors. Drinks are equally as good as a cocktail or mocktail.
Ingredients
2oz.alcoholic spirit of choiceoptional
¾oz.fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice
¾oz.garden infused simple syrup
½oz.egg white, if vegan use aquafaba chickpea water
3large ice cubes
Fresh garnish of choice to finish
Instructions
Fresh garnish of choice to finish
In a cocktail shaker, add all ingredients without ice. Firmly cap the shaker and shake vigorously for one minute. This “dry shake” technique will help break up the proteins of the egg white or aquafaba to create a foamy texture.
Gently, keeping the foam intact, add your ice to the shaker and then shake for 30 more seconds.
Strain the drink into a coupe or martini glass. Some foam will come through and settle on top.
Capture the extra foam that has clung to the sides of the shaker by rinsing the shaker with 1 oz. club soda, swirling it to catch the foam, and then straining it onto the top of the drink. If done correctly, there will be a solid line of silky foam ½ inch thick at the top of the glass, and a bright, transparent liquid layer of cocktail below.
COMBINATIONS TO TRY
Rye Whiskey + Lemon Juice + Rosemary Syrup
Vodka + Lemon + Cucumber Syrup + Grapefruit Bitters on Top
Pisco + Lemon + Apple Syrup + Angostura Bitters on Top
