Garden To Glass

When visiting Napa and Sonoma, letting a non-wine beverage pass through one’s lips is almost inconceivable. But the cocktail list from Spoonbar at the new h2hotel in Healdsburg is tempting thirsty visitors down just such a path of wine-country sin.

The man to blame (or credit, really) is Spoonbar’s mixologist Scott Beattie. For several years he was the bar manager at the Michelin-starred restaurant Cyrus, where he made a name for himself crafting drinks with high-quality ingredients (preferably local), using traditional techniques. He’s led a kind of a cocktail renaissance in the region, thanks in part to the fact that his approach is so in step with the local food culture.

We solicited Scott’s expertise for a few warm-weather drink recipes using seasonal ingredients. He suggested two that use quintessential summer herbs, ones you might even have growing in your own garden: mint and basil. The basil gimlet and mint mojito, both of which he describes as “live,” since they call for freshly picked herbs, are bright and refreshing. Either would make a great choice for cooling down on a warm summer night.

Live Basil Gimlet
5 leaves of basil
1 1/2 oz. gin (Scott likes London or Blade)
3/4 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup

Put 4 or 5 basil leaves in a cocktail shaker or drinking glass, and press them with a muddler or a wooden spoon. Add the gin, lime juice and simple syrup. Fill the shaker completely with ice, shake for at least ten seconds, and strain into a martini glass. If you’re feeling fancy, garnish with a basil leaf or two.

Live Mint Mojito
10 leaves of mint
1 1/2 oz. white rum (Charbay Tahitian Vanilla Rum is recommended)
3/4 oz. lime juice
1/2-3/4 oz. simple syrup
3/4 oz. seltzer

With the mint in the palm of one hand, use a wooden spoon to tap the leaves to draw out their oils. Combine the mint, rum, lime juice and simple syrup in a mixing glass. Fill completely with ice, give it a vigorous shake and pour into a Collins glass. Top with splash of club soda and garnish with a sprig of mint.

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