Herbs

I generally use herbs for their aroma, which adds to the whole sensory experience of drinking a cocktail. I often use sprigs of parsley, coriander (cilantro), lemon verbena and fennel fronds, and recently I’ve started using sorrel. The parsley and coriander (cilantro) are generally attached to the side of the glass using a small peg, mainly for their aroma, while the fresh sorrel is draped over the side of the drink so that you eat it and get a wonderful green flavour and a burst of acidity as you drink. When it’s in season I use fresh sorrel in my Cherry Bark cocktail, but I’ve also started making a sorrel nori, which we are able to keep for longer and use throughout the year when the fresh herb isn’t available. Again, the nori adds a lovely acidity and a saltiness that contrasts with the barky nature of the drink. I use lemon verbena a lot, again for its aroma but it’s also delicious to eat. It adds a real burst of herby citrus to a gin and tonic, for example. Fennel pollen and fronds I use particularly with drinks containing absinthe as the aniseed flavour in the herb brings the absinthe alive.