5 plants behind your favourite co*cktails (2024)

A mouth-watering mix of juices, fruit, syrups and alcohol, co*cktails are a favourite alcoholic drink.

From tree bark to herbs, we round up theplant heroes essential to the art of co*cktail-making.

1. Fever tree (Cinchonaspp.)

An essential component in a classic gin and tonic,tonic water compliments the fruityflavour of gin and gives it a tangy taste.

The origin of this clear, fizzy liquid is theamazing fever tree.

The fever tree (Cinchonaspp.) is native to the eastern slopes of the Andeswith a range across Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

Contained in the bark is an alkaloid called quinine. The tree produces it to ward off insects and itgives tonic water that recognisablebitter taste.

In the 17th century, quinine was used as a fever medicinein South America. Thetree was also thought to havecurative properties and was used intreatmentfor malaria.

Gin St Clements

Combine orange and lemon juice for a refreshingly different gin co*cktail.

Ingredients

50ml gin

150ml bitter lemon

Juice of one orange (approx 150ml of juice)

Ice cubes

Method

1. Place the ice in a glass, and pour over the gin.

2. Add the bitter lemon and fresh orange juice to taste. Give it a stir, and enjoy.

2. Juniper(Juniperus)

Gin is made from a neutral spirit flavoured with botanicals (seeds, berries, roots, herbs and fruit).

Gin relies on plant ingredients to giveit flavour. Distilleries steep the neutral spiritwith botanicals to extractessential oils and achieve the delicious taste.

The most important botanical in this process is juniper (Juniperus).Ginmust contain juniper to be officially classed as a gin.

Juniperis an evergreen tree that has thin needle-like leaves. Berries from the tree are used to flavour gin. You might also use them to enhancefood disheslikecasseroles or marinades.

Common juniper(Juniperus communis)is native to the UK and Europe. OurMillennium Seed Bankhas 51collections of the UK'snative juniper trees.

With pests and diseases such asPhytophthora austrocedrithreatening juniper trees,these collections are important to preserve the nation's favourite tree seeds.

Juniper pairs well with other botanicals likelavender and eucalyptus, which we collect in the Gardens to beused inKew gin.

3. Mint (Mentha)

Mint brings afresh, zesty taste to drinks like the mojito, the ultimate refreshing co*cktail on a summer's day.

It's a versatile plant and can be grown in beds, pots and even windowsills.

To keep your plant healthy, keep cutting leaves toencourage new growth.

Like most herbs, mint is best used fresh. Thisis when the volatile oils in theleaves are at their most intense, giving a bigger flavour kick. You can also freeze mint after you pick it, as itwill help to preserveflavour.

As well as its use in cooking, mint is also used in many of our everyday products like mouthwash, toothpaste and chewing gum.

Menthol is extracted from itsessential oil andis the compound used in these products. It gives a cooling, tingling sensation as it triggers receptors in our mouths that respond to cold temperatures.

Mojito

Ingredients

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp of sugar

Soda water

A handful of mint leaves

60ml white rum

Method

1. Mix the lime juice, sugar and mint leaves in a jug. Crush the mint leaves as you do this, which willrelease their flavour.

2. Pour into a glass and add a handful of ice.Pour in the rum and mix.

3. Top with soda water and a mint garnish.

4. Coffee (Coffea)

Not just for breakfast, coffee is used in a variety of popular boozy co*cktails like the espresso martini.

The coffee beans we're familiar with are actually the roasted seeds of coffee (Coffea) plants.

Coffee beans go on an epic journey from plant to cup, as they go through a lengthy sorting, drying and roasting process.

Whilst there are 124 species of coffee, Coffea arabicais the most widely used. It is a small tree that grows between 2m and 8m, withevergreen leaves, white flowers and red fruits.

Scientists at Kew have found that wild arabica coffee is endangered, mainly because ofdeforestation, climate change, and the spread of diseases.

Our research intowild species of coffeeand how to protect themcould help us develop a tasty cup of coffeethat supports both livelihoods and protects one of the world's most popular drinks.

Espresso martini

Ingredients

100g caster sugar

100ml vodka

50ml freshly brewed coffee

50ml coffee liqueur

Ice

Method

1. Make sugar syrup byheating the sugar with 50ml of water in a small pan.

2. Leave the syrup to cool. Once cold, pour 1tbsp into a co*cktail shaker with a handful of ice, the vodka, freshly brewed coffee and coffee liqueur.

3.Shake for 30 seconds, or until the mixture is cold.

4.Strain into chilled glasses and enjoy.

5. Pomegranates(Punica granatum)

Pomegranatesare a secret ingredient in manyco*cktails.

These bright red fruits are behind a syrupcalled grenadine, which is used in co*cktails like Tequila Sunrise. The syrup is made from the fruit's juice and sweetened with sugar.

Native to Middle Eastern countries like Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, the pomegranateplant is a large shrub or small tree that hasevergreen leaves and bright orange flowers.

The round fleshy fruit of the pomegranate plant contains two layers. The outer, hard later is called an epicarp, and the inner soft layer is called a mesocarp.

The inner mesocarp forms distinctchambers containing seeds with a fleshy covering. These are the seeds we buy in the supermarket to eat and add to dishes like salads and couscous.

Pomegranates have been celebrated for thousands of years by many different cultures around the world.

One of these traditions is the Iranian traditionYalda Night. This marks the winter solstice with a celebration of the victory of light over darkness, where people come together to eat pomegranate fruit.

Tequila sunrise

Ingredients

2 tsp grenadine

50ml tequila

Ice

Juice of 1 orange

Juice of half a lemon

Method

1. Pour the grenadine into the base of the glass, and set aside.

2. Shake ice, tequila, triple sec and the fruit juices in a co*cktail shaker until cold.

3. Add ice to your glass, and pour the mixture over it. Don't disturb the grenadine too much, as this will give a striking layering effect in the glass.