Skip to main content

Get on trend with these culinary-inspired spring cocktails

Take notes from the food world for this season's cocktails

Grilled corn on the cob
byrev / Unsplash

One of the big trends for cocktails this year is savory flavors — and a great way to get inspired for your drinks is to look to the world of food. Cocktailmanac is taking on this trend with its culinary-inspired cocktails, which incorporate flavors like garden herbs, fresh corn, and even barbecue notes for unique and delicious drinks.

A Sweet Corn Named Desire

Cocktailmanac

Ingredients:

Method:

Recommended Videos

Rim lowball glass with lime and dip into curry-salt mixture and set aside. Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. Fine strain into glass. Garnish with isomalt disc and popcorn.

* Corn syrup: Add 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup sweet corn kernels to pan. Heat and stir until sugar is melted. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir often. Take off heat and leave overnight to cool and infuse. Strain out kernels and store liquid in a clean glass container with lid. Store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Prairie Botanist

Cocktailmanac

Ingredients:

Method:

Combine all ingredients, except club soda, into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. Fine strain into glass filled with ice. Top with soda water and garnish with dill sprigs and edible flowers.

Strawber-B-Q

Cocktailmanac

Ingredients:

Method:

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a lowball glass with ice. Garnish with basil and strawberry slice.

Georgina Torbet
Georgina Torbet is a cocktail enthusiast based in Berlin, with an ever-growing gin collection and a love for trying out new…
Gin goes with everything! From strawberries to carrot
The Connaught

As an avowed gin lover, one of the things I enjoy about the spirit is its ability to mix with a wide range of ingredients. It can do some much more than a Gin & Tonic, as depending on the botanicals used in a particular gin it can be combined with everything from herbal lushness to bracing bitterness to fruity sweetness.

A balanced gin like Fords is a great choice for mixing as it isn't overly sharp or bitter, but still has enough interest to add depth to any drink you make with it. These recipes from bartenders around the world show just how diverse gin drinks can be, combining ingredients from strawberries and coconut to carrot and grapefruit.

Read more
Spritz season is here, and you should try a Lillet Spritz
Lillet

The arrival of the warm months means one thing for drinks fans: it's spritz time. Whether you love or hate the Aperol Spritz -- or just think it's overrated -- there's no getting away from the ubiquitous orange drinks that pop up everywhere at this time of year. Whilst I am an Aperol defender (I don't care if it's not trendy any more, it's still delicious) I also love to try a variety of spritzes, as the combination of sparkling wine plus liqueur is one that lends itself to all sorts of options.

One of my favorite summer drinks is a spritz variation which uses Lillet Blanc, a bracing quinine-infused aperitif which has a light and bright character but also a hefty bitterness which I love, and which I find sets off the sweetness of a Prosecco really well. I like to combine equal parts of Lillet Blanc and fizzy water, then add in a large ice cube and an absolute ton of cucumber slices. The fresh notes of the cucumber really brighten up the drink.

Read more
Feel the sea breeze with these seaside-inspired gin cocktails
Sheringham’s Seaside Gin

Savory cocktails are everywhere this year, and I couldn't be happier about that. While there's certainly a place for a sweet or fruity treat once in a while, there's something about a bracing, salty cocktail which I find so compelling -- and a welcome break from the typical cocktails you see in most bars and restaurants.

As a huge gin lover I'm naturally a big fan of savory gins, which can use ingredients as diverse as celery, basil, thyme, salt, and kelp to add a herbal, green, fresh and fragrant note to a spirit that plays perfectly in savory drinks,

Read more