How-To Use Herbs in your Cocktails

Incorporate herbs into your cocktails

• Infuse herby goodness into any drink.

• Mix and match different herbs with Cheeky Cocktails juices & syrups.

• Up your bar skills to new levels with the double strain!

Become a garnish genius🤓

• Learn how to revitalize herbs that have, *ehem*, seen better days.

• Amp up your cocktail’s appearance with unexpected herb flare!

• Take classic cocktails to new places using aromatic herbs

…Can completely transform a drink, and anyone can incorporate fresh herbaceous flavors into their cocktails by shaking or muddling!

• Shaking- This is as easy as adding herbs to your mixing tin with your other cocktail ingredients and shaking with ice. The ice will bruise the herbs and incorporate flavor without using additional tools!

  • We recommend only shaking with healthy leaves to avoid bitter stem flavors.

• Muddling- You can also muddle herbs by gently pressing them in your tin with your sweetener (agave, simple syrup, etc).

  • Simply press the herbs with the muddler and lightly twist, it doesn’t take much to release the essential oil goodness.

  • Don’t have a muddler? The end of a wooden spoon will do the trick!

    • Need a bit more guidance? Check out Cheeky Aaron’s muddling video!

What is Double Straining and Why Should You use it with herbs?

Double straining is when you use a Hawthorne strainer in your tin AND a second mesh or “tea strainer” to provide a finer strain for your cocktail

• This process helps remove fine ice and gnarly bits of herbs (or fruit, berries, etc.) from the finished drink that can be bitter, chewy, or just generally unpleasant.

• Double straining also further aerates your drink for textured frothy goodness, and is especially helpful for any drink that has eggwhites!

A few Cheeky Cocktail + Herb combinations we love:

A Classic Margarita shaken with fresh cilantro: A little cilantro adds a big bite to this salty classic

A Cheeky Cosmo with muddled basil: Even Carrie Bradshaw would say this is next level!

A Cheeky Tom Collins with english or lemon thyme:

A Tom Collins lets your favorite Gin shine and a touch of thyme beautifully compliments all that botanical goodness.

Add flare and freshness to your cocktails!

Herb garnishes are more than just a pretty embellishment (though it can be so purrty).  Their fragrance (or bouquet) can add great complexity and a counter-note to your finished drink. 

• A little palm-slappin’ can go a long way here for maximum aromatic goodness

  • Take your herb of choice and gather several healthy stems.

  • Trim the bottom of the sprigs until you have about the top 2 inches of the stem

  • Lightly hit the herbs against your palm. This will awaken and release the essential oils

• Garnishing with aromatics can help add nuance to any drink

  • Try a simple thyme sprig in your next Gin+Soda

  • Finish an Aperol Spritz with some fresh rosemary (Aperol + rosemary is heavenly, trust us!)

  • Add a few fresh sage leaves to a Cheeky Gold Rush

Cheeky Tip: Use our new mint syrup and our lime juice to make a mojito by adding a splash of soda!