How to grow a gin garnish garden

Whether you’re growing them on the bar for staff to garnish drinks with or in your pub garden for consumers to pick and choose for themselves, a G&T garnish garden is a quirky way to create a bit of atmosphere and theatre.

You can grow them in wooden crates, pots or any other container that will hold them; place them on the bar to show customers your garnishes are fresh; or place pots full of herbs on tables inside and outside your pub so customers can have a little fun with their drinks.

Types of herbs

There are many types of aromatic herbs that can be used to play on the botanicals in the various gins on offer, as well as the tonics that complement them

Basil:

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A little bitter and very fresh, basil is an easy grower. The leaves can be picked, gently bruised and incorporated into a drink. There are many variants of basil, which offer different flavours

More tips for creating your own gin garnish garden

Rosemary:

Strong and very aromatic, rosemary’s throngs of leaves can be plunged directly into long drinks to add a bit of colour, texture and that all important aroma

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Thyme:

Woody with tiny leaves, thyme offers a large surface area of aroma. The leaves can be stripped from the branches, but it’s better to clip small branches from the main plant to be put in the drink. There are many variants of thyme, each with a unique quality

Sage:

These silvery furry leaves give off a light fragrance. They’re not going to look the prettiest in drinks after a while, but they will look sublime for a decent amount of time

Bay:

Three bay leaves held together, fanned out and placed at the top of a drink is the perfect way to crown a beverage

Lavender:

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With its beautiful purple flowers, giving off that distinct aroma, lavender is a looker as well as a good provider of scent

Lemon verbena:

As you would expect, this plant offers a lemon scent and taste

Mint:

Refreshing and clean, mint accentuates many of gin’s upper notes and can also help boost the minty qualities featured in some gins

Making your own garnish garden

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Putting together a G&T garnish garden is simple, but offers big returns for bartenders and customers alike, here, along with Fever-Tree, we outline how to do it:

Step one

Find a wooden crate, pot or other container to plant at least six types of herbs in

Step two:

If it is a container with openings, such as a crate, line it with hessian, which should be stapled in place

Step three:

Fill two thirds full with a multi-purpose compost before removing your herbs from their pots and planting them in the soil

Step four:

Top up with compost, ensuring the roots of the herbs are covered, but not the vegetation. Apply pressure to ensure the herbs are firmly in place

Step five:

Give the herbs a generous drink of water. Ensure they get lots of sunshine and enough water to grow

Learn more about G&T garnish gardens by visiting Fever-Tree’s Gin & Tonic Gardens website.