Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink
  3. s

Through the Garden Cocktail’s Key Ingredient is Red Bell Pepper (Recipe & Video)

By

If you haven’t heard of Husk, you are living in a hole. Opened in 2010 by well-loved, James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock in Charleston, South Carolina, it’s the first place most foodies venture to after landing in the Holy City. Husk is farm-to-table at its finest with a hefty selection of pork.

The bar is equally tantalizing, located next door to “the big house” in a historic, rough-hewn, brick-out building. It’s dark and cozy — just what one needs after a hot and humid day touring the town. Managed by Justin Simko, a former chef who took his food talents to the shaker, the cocktails are becoming Lowcountry classics.

One creation that Simko is especially proud of is the Through the Garden cocktail. As he explains to The Manual:

“The inspiration for Through the Garden came from a few different places. It wasn’t so much something that I wanted to create, it was making something and adding complimentary flavors until it was a cocktail I was happy with. I was in the walk-in talking to one our chefs and he jokingly presented the challenge of making a cocktail with red bell pepper. I accepted, and from there tried roasting and juicing them, but that turned out too bitter and smoky. I decided to blend them raw with some water. and the juice retained a bright flavor and color.

“Next, I added a great bitter orange vinegar the kitchen was using in addition to some lime juice to keep it on the tart side. To go more herbal, I added Green Chartreuse, along with some basil simple syrup. Logically, gin would have been a good choice, but I wanted a more neutral spirit and went with a white rum. All of these together resulted in vibrant colors, bright flavor, and a great acidity that makes it so unique and interesting without being too weird for the Everyman to enjoy. I’m happy it turned out savory, but fresh-tasting, without smoke or bitter flavors that can so often accompany that term when talking cocktails.”

through the garden cocktail
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Through The Garden
(Created by Justin Simko, Husk Bar, Charleston, South Carolina)

  • 1.75 oz Don Q Cristal
  • 0.25 oz Green Chartreuse
  • 1.5 oz red bell pepper juice
  • 0.5 oz lime juice
  • 0.5 oz basil simple syrup
  • 0.25 oz bitter orange vinegar
  • Carrot top or basil sprig for garnish

Method: Combine liquid ingredients. Shake over cold draft ice. Pour contents into Buy Now . Garnish with carrot top or basil sprig.

Cator Sparks
Cator Sparks
Former Former Digital Trends Contributor, The Manual
Topics
Ready-to-drink cocktails to bring the bar experience home
These ready-to-serve drinks will make you feel like you're at a bar instead of your home
Post Meridien

I love a good cocktail bar. The type of place with a mix of classic and contemporary drinks. The kind of establishment where the bartenders are allowed to let their creativity flow, adding different flavors to elevate well-known mixed drinks. But I’m pretty busy with everyday life and don’t always have time to spend an evening drinking contemporary takes on the Old Fashioned or Negroni at a cocktail bar. This is where ready-to-drink cocktails come in. And while there are many overly sugary, low-alcohol options available, some brands make RTDs that taste like my favorite drinks and have the same (or similar alcohol content).

I’ve spent years sampling ready-to-drink cocktails (especially as the category has expanded in recent years), and I’ve found quite a few that you can crack open, pour into a glass, and feel as close to your local cocktail bar as possible without actually leaving the friendly confines of your home.

Read more
This new coffee and hydration bundle gives back to Brazilian farmers
This $50 coffee & hydration bundle is your new summer essential
Equator Coffee

We're right in the heart of the summer -- and this fun seasonal collab from Equator Coffees makes the perfect pairing for those who love coffee (and hydration) as much as I do. The new Golden Hour x Buoy Hydration Bundle, (priced at $50), pairs Equator's Golden Hour blend (bright, fruity notes of orange creamsicle and Rainier cherry) with Buoy's unsweetened hydration drops and a 32oz water bottle featuring original artwork from local SF muralist Rymie. As you build a nice war-weather routine, this bundle helps emphasize the importance of staying hydrated (and caffeinated) all summer long. Even better, 5% of collection sales support youth agricultural education at the farm behind the blend in Brazil.

“Golden Hour is summer in a cup. It’s bright, vibrant, and the kind of coffee I reach for when the days get longer. Pairing it with Buoy hydration drops and a custom Nalgene just made sense to us—great coffee to start your day, hydration to keep you feeling your best, and a bottle you’ll actually want to bring everywhere this summer," says Helen Russell, Co-Founder and Executive Chair.

Read more
The best value single malt whisky from every region of Scotland
Take a tour of Scotland with these gateway whiskies
Aberlour

If you’re new to the world of Scotch whisky, you might just assume that it all tastes the same. Well, not only are there major differences in aroma and flavor between many well-known whiskies, but there are also five distinct regions, and each has its own unique flavor profile. Each region is also home to many value whiskies. Today, I’m going to highlight one from each. But before I get into that, I need to start at the beginning.

When I first started writing about alcohol, Scotch whisky seemed a little overwhelming to me. When I first tasted it, I thought they all tasted the same. That changed when I was given a dram of single malt whisky from The Macallan alongside a dram of single malt whisky from Laphroaig. Boy, was my mind blown.

Read more