Mint, Basil And Coriander: Which Green Herb Is Best For Summer Drinks?

Making summer drinks involves adding a lot of fresh produce like seasonal fruits and fresh herbs that bloom during this season in cocktail and mocktail recipes. Green herbs like mint, basil and coriander are among the summertime ingredients that find their way into drinks for introducing a slightly savoury, earthy and peppery note in blends.   

For a budding mixologist, knowing more about how these green herbs can build taste and complexity into drinks goes a long way in determining which one of these can be added to cocktails and mocktails prepared especially during summer weather.  

Peppery And Crisp Mint  

A popular ingredient in mixology, mint finds its way into different classic and signature drinks ranging from a moscow mule cocktail to a non-alcoholic jaljeera. Complete with peppery notes, sharp flavours and a bright green colour, mint builds savoury as well as slightly citrusy notes into drinks lending them a crisp flavour. Mint leaves also blend well with other cocktail and mocktail ingredients such as tropical fruits, flavoured syrups and infused liquors, making them a sought after element for garnishing as well as for muddling into drinks.  

In summers, the peppery and cool effect of fresh mint leaves brings a lot of brightness into drinks prepared particularly during this season, making it a favoured ingredient addition to non-alcoholic drinks like iced teas, lemonades, cucumber coolers and alcoholic beverages such as mojitos, juleps and mules.  

Aromatic Basil  

For its part, basil is complete with earthy aromas and a slight umami flavour which builds complexity into any recipe in which this herb is introduced. Basil is particularly essential for highlighting the different savoury or citrusy flavours of accompanying ingredients in cocktails and mocktails.   

With their clove-like depth and a subtly sweet, peppery quality, fragrant basil leaves are excellent additions to garden-style drinks, summertime spritzers, herbal coolers and fruit-based blends.  

Come summer season, adding crushed basil leaves to drinks or infusing them in spirits or even incorporating them as a garnish can be an interesting alternative to infuse fruity blends with a broader body of flavour and intricate tasting notes.  

Grassy And Citrusy Coriander   

One of the most favoured herbs in gastronomy, coriander or parsley is often added to drinks which contain lots of savoury touches in the form of spices like chilli powder, cumin and even chaat masala or tamarind syrup. With its slightly grassy and savoy flavours, coriander compliments the presence of these tropical ingredients in several mixes to deliver a citrusy, slightly spicy and even pungent edge.  

Inevitably, summer drinks which contain a hint of Asian or south Asian flavours incorporate coriander into their recipes either in the form of a garnish or as a paste or chutney that builds deep green hues and savoury notes into blends.  

Final Verdict  

So it appears that all three green herbs – mint, basil and coriander – are much favoured ingredients for building drinks in summer weather. Basil is an ideal alternative for preparing deeply flavoured, nuanced and aromatic drinks while coriander brings its own savoury and herbal touch into blends that gives tiki cocktails or summer mocktails a citrusy, salty effect.  

Yet, while basil and coriander are interesting additions to mixes which contain a touch of savoury or fruity notes, mint emerges as the all-rounder because it can be incorporated into nearly every summer cocktail variation, from savoury to floral to spiced to herbal. Mint is thus a classic cocktail ingredient which can be used to build a number of drinks suited to summer weather, making it one of the most popular mixology elements across a spectrum of cocktail and mocktail variations.