"Conley's drink, which he describes as a "soft sour," actually skips the basil. To make it, he infuses black tea into the gin, calls on a Champagne-based syrup and-in lieu of the herb-adds a "pinch" of arugula leaves to the tin that injects a dose of peppery, vegetal flavor to the cocktail. Across the country, other bars make use of the leafy greens, too."
"Though arugula hasn't historically been a popular cocktail ingredient, its modern-day rise meets the moment: In a landscape where jalapeños, habanero and other chiles are in everything from Margaritas to Martinis, arugula channels a similar pepperiness, without the heat. Its herbaceousness, meanwhile, makes a good match for botanical liqueurs. For Conley, arugula's aromatics play a role, too. He remembers that at a past job, "when we'd bring in a big shipment of arugula from the farms, it was so intensely peppery and fragrant that you could smell it outside.""
Arugula is being used as a distinctive cocktail ingredient to add peppery, vegetal, and aromatic notes without heat. Bartenders are substituting arugula for basil or incorporating it into infusions, syrups, and muddled preparations to alter texture and intensity. The leaf pairs well with botanical liqueurs, earthy and savory elements, and sparkling or tea-infused bases. Bars in multiple cities are creating cocktails that showcase arugula alongside ingredients like génépy, olives, rosemary and dill. Simple techniques include adding a pinch to the tin, muddling for stronger flavor, or infusing spirits for layered complexity.
Read at PUNCH
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]