As usual, our mint crop is growing like crazy in our barrel planter. After our newsletter poll this spring asking what we should grow in our garden this year, we planted Ginger Mint in the barrel. And, of course we had to make a delicious drink with it – this one is great with a variety of spirits, and is rooted in the classic Smash cocktail from the mid-to-late 1800s.
Ginger Mint (mentha x gracilis) is a hybrid mint, and is also referred to as Scotchmint. It is a cross between wild mint (a/k/a corn mint or field mint, technically mentha arvensis) and common garden mint (a/k/a native spearmint, mentha spicata). As a plant, it is minty of course, with an intriguing spice flavor that suggests ginger. It is hard to find and is best grown from seed or purchased from a specialty grower – I ordered my plants online this spring from a farm in northern Kentucky. It also has an interesting growing habit, and blooms differently from any other mint I’ve seen before- the flowers appear under the leaves, in rings around the plant stems!
Gingermint Smash
2 oz North Shore Gin No. 6 (or No. 11, or American Whiskey, or Vodka)
3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Plain Simple Syrup (or ginger-infused, if you want it really ginger-y)
8-10 leaves of Ginger Mint (or regular mint, if you don’t have ginger mint)
Shake with ice, double strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, or into a coupe glass if you’re feeling fancy. Garnish with sprig of mint.
Enjoy!
PS, if you’re in our area and want some ginger mint to play around with, stop by and ask – we have lots and would be happy to share!
