The bartender's garden

If cooking with fresh herbs isn't reason enough to start a garden, maybe a mojito is. Think of it as added motivation.

Herb gardens are generally easy to maintain, add bright color to your deck or balcony and smell fabulous.

And if you plot your path well, your herb garden also can give you a summer of incredible, fresh-tasting cocktails.

We turned to Seattle mixologist Ryan Magarian, of Kathy Casey Food Studios/Liquid Kitchen, for his favorite herb/cocktail combinations.

His "sacred seven" list includes herbs like mint and basil, which are staples in any herb garden. Others, like rosemary and thyme, work as accents and can be added as aromatic garnishes to your favorite cocktail.

"Herbs to me, depending on the drink, they add a third or fourth dimension," Magarian said.

Magarian's go-to herb list includes:

Cocktail recipes


For garnishes, mixologist Ryan Magarian of Kathy Casey Food Studios/Liquid Kitchen recommends putting herbs in your palm, slapping them to release the oils, then adding them to the cocktail. Use a jigger to measure the drinks.

Classic Mojito: In a pint glass, combine six mint leaves, ¾ ounce fresh lime juice, ¾ ounce simple syrup and a dash Angostura bitters, and press with a muddler. Add 1 ½ ounces white rum, fill glass with ice, shake. Strain into tall glass filled with fresh ice, top with soda, stir and garnish with mint sprig.

Sage margarita: Bruise two sage leaves with muddler in pint glass, add 1 ½ ounces tequila, ¼ ounce Cointreau, ¾ ounce fresh lime juice, ½ ounce simple syrup. Fill glass with ice, shake vigorously, strain over fresh ice into glass. Garnish with sage leaf.

Basil highball: In pint glass, combine two basil leaves, ¾ ounce Clover honey syrup (1:1 ratio honey and water), ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice and a dash orange bitters, and press with muddler. Add 1 ½ ounces gin. Fill glass with ice, shake. Strain over fresh ice into highball glass, top with soda. Garnish with basil sprig.

Thyme Bellini: Bruise two thyme sprigs with a muddler in a pint glass. Add ¼ ounce simple syrup, 1 ounce pureed peaches, 4 ounces Prosecco, fill glass with ice. Stir swiftly, strain into champagne flute, garnish with fresh thyme sprig.

Rosemary Cosmopolitan: Combine one sprig rosemary, ½ ounce fresh lime juice, ¾ ounce Cointreau, lightly bruise with muddler. Add 1 ½ ounces gin, 1 ounce cranberry juice, fill glass with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into cocktail glass, garnish with one sprig rosemary laid across glass and one cranberry.

Tarragon White Peach Cosmo: Bruise two tarragon sprigs in a pint glass, add 1 ½ ounces Absolut Apeach, ¼ ounce Cointreau, ¾ ounce fresh lime juice and ½ ounce simple syrup, fill glass with ice. Shake vigorously, strain into cocktail glass, garnish with one cranberry.

Nonalcoholic Cilantro Lemonade: Slap some cilantro in the palm of your hand, and add it to lemonade.

Source: Ryan Magarian, mixologist for Kathy Casey Food Studios/Liquid Kitchen.

• Spearmint: A must for the classic mojito, spearmint can be added to any cocktail, like a cosmopolitan, for a refreshing touch.

• Basil: Combine it with mint in a mojito for another zippy layer, or use it with pear brandy.

• Thyme: It pairs well with peach flavors and is ideal for a Bellini.

• Rosemary: This herb's clean flavor works well with gin cosmopolitans.

• Tarragon: Also complements peach flavors, like peach vodka.

• Sage: The earthy, dry flavor marries well with tequila and will raise your margarita to the next level.

• Cilantro: Add it to plain lemonade to drink with a Mexican meal, or mix it into a mango daiquiri.

Starting a cocktail garden

More ambitious gardeners might start their herbs from seed, but those generally need an earlier start, preferably in spring. If you're new to gardening, ease into it using starter plants, which are simpler than seeds. Start by grouping your herbs based on their water requirements and growth, said Jose Gonzales, the annual, herb and vegetable buyer at City People's Garden Store in Seattle. Separating the herbs makes it easier to control how much water they get.

Basil is more finicky than other herbs, and voracious mint grows quickly and tends to take over, so it's best to keep them in individual containers. Thyme and cilantro will do well together. Sage and rosemary, which prefer drier conditions, can be grown in the same container.

Look for containers that are at least 8 inches in diameter, with plenty of drainage holes. A container that size will hold three or four plants, Gonzales said. Shallow containers dry out more quickly than deep pots, so remember that rosemary and sage can handle drier conditions, but basil or cilantro will do better in deeper pots. Plant them 2 to 3 inches apart in a container, or 6 inches if they are planted in the ground.

Location also is important. Make sure the plants will get plenty of light.

Maintaining your garden

Most of the plants listed above are hardy and can stay outside year-round. Basil, however, doesn't do well until the night temperatures are above about 45 degrees.

Most of the herbs can be planted at any time (though nurseries carry herb starters mostly in the spring and summer).

Basil and tarragon die in the winter and do better in the warmer months, while cilantro flowers in hot weather and will be more productive in early spring or fall.

Once it's warm outside, the herbs should be checked at least twice a week for water needs.

Lavender and sage should be fine with weekly watering, with maybe one more per week when it's hot, Gonzales said. But in July and August, the leafy plants could use a quick check once a day to make sure the soil hasn't dried out.

Learning how much water herbs need comes with experience, but Gonzales typically lifts pots to see whether they are heavy with water or light and dried out.

Check the soil by sticking your finger an inch into it; the soil should be somewhat damp.

"Once it gets going, herbs are very happy and content with regular watering, nothing excessive," Gonzales said.

Nicole Tsong: 206-464-2150 or ntsong@seattletimes.com