Spring cocktail is a broad term, and yet, we all have a similar idea pop into our head when we hear the term. Most of us default to bright colors, sweet flavors, and floral garnishes. All of which work and work well. However, there are a few spaces in the spring cocktail arena that are underutilized.
We love a seasonal cocktail and crafting spring cocktails allows you to play around with non-traditional ingredients and combinations, use seasonal ingredients to your benefit, and show off your creativity. Save the lemon drop for another day and explore these new ways to create a spring cocktail.
Why Using Seasonal Ingredients Is Better
Using seasonal ingredients has several benefits, the first and probably most important to most, is that seasonal produce tends to taste better. Seasonal produce is at its peak, travels better, and lasts longer. Shopping seasonally encourages you to think about your recipes and use flavors and ingredients you would not typically use.
Seasonal ingredients are also easier to get locally, which reduces adverse environmental effects by lessening the distance they have to travel. Most importantly, shopping seasonally supports local farmers.
Spring Herbs
The number of fresh herbs that are best during the springtime is huge. That means using herbs in your food and drinks can provide new and interesting ingredient combinations. You can expand your cocktail options by trying out cocktails that feature an herb as the main flavor or combine fruit, vegetables, or herbs in creative ways.
Some in-season herbs can include basil, thyme, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, dandelion, lemon balm, and lemongrass. Many of these have bold enough and bright enough flavors to feature as the main flavor of your cocktail. Many of them are also subtle enough to blend with sweet or tangy flavors, making them perfect for pairing with other flavors such as fruits and vegetables.
Spring Fruits
Fruits are often the first and main direction people follow when creating cocktails. Fruits have a variety of flavors across a large spectrum meaning that you can create various creations in any desired combinations. You can opt for sweeter fruits like berries or go for tangy with citrus. You can also go subtle with something like kiwi or dragonfruit.
Just like the herbs, you can benefit from shopping in season for your fruits. Springtime fruits include apricots, cherries, strawberries, lemons, limes, kiwis, grapefruits, and pineapples, depending on your location. As mentioned before, shopping in season means you’re more likely to get fruits that are in good condition and taste the best. Fresher and better-quality ingredients will ensure your spring cocktail creations are top-notch.
Spring Vegetables
While vegetables don’t tend to be our first thought when crafting cocktails, they can create some incredibly unique and delicious recipes. Many vegetables have earthy and floral notes that work well with tequila and gin. They can also provide a subtle creaminess to balance out other ingredients. Like in a salad, herbs, fruits, and vegetables can be great together.
Some vegetables that are in season during the spring are carrots, peas, beetroots, and avocados ( which are technically fruits, but their PR team isn’t working well enough to push that information). All of these have distinct but not overwhelming flavors that can complement your other ingredients and alcohol.
Why These Spring Cocktails Stand-Out
All of these cocktails were chosen for their decision to either feature or combine ingredients that scream spring but don’t get enough love. Spring cocktails are so often lemon and lavender, which are wonderful flavors, but they can be so much more.
These cocktails highlight ingredients that are chosen less often like avocados, carrots, or apricots. They also feature unique mixes like spring peas and black pepper syrup. These cocktails branch out in terms of what a spring cocktail means.
Spring Cocktail Recipes
These are a mixture of unique recipes and interesting garnishes to try out or take inspiration from. Take a close look at how the ingredients are paired when designing your own cocktails, in addition to how the cocktails are garnished.
1. Branch Out With Your Fruits
Apricot Honey Gin Sour
Apricots are often dismissed for having a subtle flavor, but they also have a flavor that can boosted by other ingredients. This apricot and honey cocktail does just that. The honey brings out the sweetness and flavor of the apricots while also bringing forward the gin’s floral notes.
A Bright Kiwi Gin Cocktail
This stunning green kiwi cocktail is both bright in color and flavor. The kiwi has a light flavor that subtly underscores the gin. The sparkling water addition makes the cocktail a bubbly refresher perfect for a nice spring day.
2. Drink Your Vegetables
Avocado Margarita
Avocado( the secret fruit) isn’t usually a first choice when going for bold flavors. But it’s less the flavor of the avocado and more the particular type of well-blended creaminess that it provides this drink. The result is a wonderful mix of creaminess and citrus flavors.
Carrot White Russian
What better vegetable to choose for a spring cocktail than a carrot? The carrot has its rightful place as the vegetable of spring and the star of this cocktail. An amazing carrot cream is complemented by coffee and nut liqueurs. For a surprising alternative to all of the bright and tangy flavors of spring, this cocktail is finished off with fresh nutmeg for warmth.
A Spring Garden Margarita With A Bite
Perhaps the most daring recipe on the list is this spring garden margarita which features cucumber juice and black pepper syrup. The cucumber and tequila base is light, botanical, and refreshing while the black pepper syrup adds a peppery bite. The drink is garnished with any seasonal greens and florals!
3. Embrace Seasonal Herbs
A Beautifully Blended Strawberry Basil Cocktail
Strawberry and basil are often paired together and for good reason. The sweet strawberries pair with the basil for a sweet mixture with an undertone of pepper, perfect for a warmer spring day.
A Simple Rosemary Cocktail
This cocktail keeps it simple with only a few ingredients. Consisting of mainly rosemary syrup and champagne allows the herb to be the star of the show for an earthy and floral cocktail made refreshing by the champagne addition.
4. Make Creative Spring Cocktail Garnishes
A cocktail can be defined by its garnish. The garnish speaks to you before the flavor of the cocktail does. So as we find new ways to make creative spring cocktails we must consider the garnishes.
Flowers are an easy choice as springtime is the time of flowers. Fresh flowers always look gorgeous topping or on the side of a cocktail. Creative a mini bouquet on top of your cocktail with more than one flower. Consider adding dried flowers and crushed petals to your garnish options as well. Single petals can be dusted in sugar or fully candied.
You can also use vegetables as garnishes, especially if they are featured in your cocktail, but even so if not. Small vegetables sit well sliced or on cocktail picks. You can also cut fresh fruit and vegetables and form them into creative displays.
Spring Cocktail Occasions
Because of their unique ingredients and stunning presentations, these spring cocktails are perfect for almost any occasion. Serve them at gathering for a conversation starter or just enjoy them at home for a weekend refresher. Any and every occasion works but I think these would best serve as a showstopper to a spring garden party or dinner party!
