Herbs in cocktails are not a new phenomenon but they are a delicious one. I’m growing a few to ensure I always have a fresh sprig to hand when making drinks.
The Peach and Verbena Smash from Ryan Chetiyawardana’s book, ‘Good Things to Drink‘, gave me an excuse to pot up some verbena (apparently it makes a good tea too) and take advantage of peach season here in Australia. Ryan’s recipe uses rum, but you know me, GIN 4 LIFE, so I just swapped it out for a London Dry.
It was absolutely perfect after another scorching summer’s day in Melbourne and next time I’ll follow Ryan’s advice and whizz it up in a blender with some ice to create a slushier version.
Ingredients for Gin, Peach and Verbena Smash
1 ripe yellow peach
2 sprigs lemon verbena
25ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
15ml sugar syrup
65ml gin
Method
Cut the peach in two and then cut a slice for garnish. Muddle the peach in a cocktail shaker before adding the rest of the ingredients and shaking vigorously with ice. Strain into an ice-filled glass and garnish with the peach slice and a sprig of verbena.
Enjoy!
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