Cocktails Inspired by Your Indoor Herb Garden

We’ve sourced three delicious cocktails from a few of our go-to hosting experts. Here are three holiday cocktails (and mocktail versions!) inspired from your kitchen herb garden.

Pear and Rosemary Cocktail
Yield: Makes 8

INGREDIENTS:
6 to 10 Seckel pears (or readily available type)
4 cups (32 ounces) vodka
1 cup sugar
12 sprigs fresh rosemary plus more for garnish
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) pear nectar
4 cups (32 ounces) sparkling water

DIRECTIONS:
• Put enough pears into a 48-ounce glass jar to fill. Add vodka. Seal jar, and let stand at room temperature 2 weeks (up to 2 months).
• Heat sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add rosemary; remove from heat. Let stand 30 minutes. Discard rosemary. Let cool completely.
• Fill 12-ounce glasses halfway with ice. Add 4 tablespoons vodka, 2 tablespoons syrup, and 3 tablespoons pear nectar to each. Top with 1/2 cup sparkling water. Serve garnished with rosemary sprigs.
* Substitute 4 cups vodka with 3 cups unsweetened cranberry juice to make this a mocktail.

Maple and Thyme Whiskey Sour
Yield: Makes 8

INGREDIENTS:
16 to 24 big long sprigs of fresh thyme
1 cup (8 ounces) real maple syrup (grade B preferably)
1 teaspoon (or 8 dashes) of orange or citrus bitters
1 cup (8 ounces) fresh lemon juice (about six lemons)
2 cups rye whiskey (16 ounces)
6 egg whites (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
• Using a cocktail muddler, muddle the long sprigs of thyme with maple syrup and orange bitters in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Smoosh ’em and smash ’em and stir ’em up real good.
• Add lemon juice, whiskey and egg white (the egg white is optional) and close the shaker. Shake and shake like you’ve never shaken a cocktail before.
• Remove the lid, add a good handful of ice, and close it back up. Give it a few more good shakes, just until the cocktail is nice and cold.
• Strain into a martini or coupe glass. Most cocktail shakers have a built in strainer, but you may want to use a small mesh strainer to catch any loose thyme leaves (Only if they’d bother you!).
• If desired, garnish with a cute & dainty little thyme sprig. * Substitute 1 teaspoon orange or citrus bitters for 3 tablespoons pulpy orange juice, and substitute 2 cups rye whiskey with 2 cups earl grey tea.

Cranberry Basil Punch
Yield: Makes 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 (750ml) bottle of cold dry sparkling wine (a brut Prosecco, Cava or Californian)
3 cups of cold ginger ale
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) orange liqueur
8 fresh basil leaves
30 frozen cranberries

DIRECTIONS:
• Pour the sparkling wine into a punch bowl. Slowly add in the ginger ale and the orange liqueur.
• Add the basil and frozen cranberries.
• Cheers! * Substitute 1 bottle of sparkling wine with sparkling cider, and substitute 2 tablespoons orange liqueur with 3 tablespoons pulpy orange juice.

Sources: Martha Stewart, Brooklyn Homemaker and Cook the Story