Botanicals for Cocktails | The Essentials

Add botanicals to your homemade cocktails for a unique aromatic and flavor touch. Experiment with combinations for a complex and rich taste experience. Every ingredient plays a fundamental role in the overall balance; everything must lead to the best possible result.

Bembo has created a line of cocktail botanicals suitable for the most discerning enthusiasts who wish to impress their guests with homemade cocktails and gin and tonics.

What does the essential botanicals box contain?

• Star Anise (20 g)
• Orange Peel (10 g)
• Cinnamon Sticks (20 g)
• Cardamom (25 g)
• Juniper Berries (30 g)
• Hibiscus Flowers (12 g)
• Pink Peppercorns (25 g)
• Allspice (36 g)
• Ginger Rhizome (40 g)

How to Use:

1. Choose your favorite gin or alcohol base and check which botanicals it contains.
2. Select those you want to enhance.
3. Crush the botanicals you have chosen using, for example, a marble mortar.
4. Pour the crushed botanicals into a glass.
5. Add the selected alcoholic component.
6. Wait 15/20 minutes.
7. Filter the content into a cocktail glass, which already contains ice.
8. Add the appropriate tonic water.
9. Garnish with decorative elements that evoke the flavors and aromas of the cocktail.

Here are some valuable tips:

• To correctly dose the spices and aromas to add, practice and experimentation are necessary. The balance of flavors is achieved only after trying different techniques and mastering the exact doses.
• Alcohol accentuates the aroma and flavor of spices, and it is appropriate to have maximum mastery in handling these aromas. Spice, in fact, tends to overpower other flavors, and it is prudent to start with small doses.
• Equip yourself with the right tools to crush them (the Bembo marble mortar bowl is ideal) and give great importance to maceration, the moment when all the flavor is released.

How to store botanicals?

Place the jars in a cool, dry place, preferably in the dark. Use them for your Gin Tonics but also for other cocktails or in the kitchen to flavor your dishes. Only then can you become familiar with the aromas and flavors that will characterize your preparations. You can select and choose your favorites, always maintaining the freshness of your supply.