Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Watermelon Basil Lemonade

 

    What could exemplify summer more than watermelon?  Add it to your drink menu and bam, you have summer

in a glass.  What could make the watermelon even better than adding in some lemonade to give your drink a little

bit of tart to match the sweet?  With the addition of basil this drink is simple to make and delicious to enjoy.

Basil is by far one of my favorite summer herbs and there are so many flavors to choose from.  We typically

grow three different varieties, traditional basil, purple basil and lemon basil.  For this drink we are going to use

both traditional and purple basil to make the simple syrup.  Give the basil a rough chop before making the syrup

to help release the flavors even more into your syrup.  

Watermelon Basil Lemonade

¼ cup basil simple syrup

3 large lemons, just the inside flesh

4 cups watermelon cubed

1 cup water

Basil to garnish 

To make the basil simple syrup take one cup of water and add in one cup of sugar with another cup of chopped

basil leaves. You should have just about one cup of liquid left after cooking. Store any extra in an airtight

container in the fridge.  Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.  Then remove it from the heat.   Once cooled, strain

the basil leaves out and transfer to an airtight container. Peel the lemons and cut into smaller pieces.  Cube up 4

cups of watermelon.  Combine the ingredients In the blender, along with 1 cup of water.  Blend everything

together for 2 minutes.  Strain through a fine mesh to create a smooth drink.  Store in the refrigerator, and stir

before serving. Garnish with lemon and basil.

As you can see in this recipe this month we do not have any alcohol.  The water can easily be replaced by

gin or vodka to give your drink a punch.  This is the perfect mixer for any 4th of July party, to enjoy by the pool,

or gathered around the night sky to watch fireworks with friends and family.  Keep it a mocktail, for everyone to

enjoy, or go out on a limb and make two batches, since we know those melons are pretty big, and make an over

21 batch along with your mocktail.

If you want your drink to be a little sweeter, feel free to add in more simple syrup to your desired sweetness

level.  Over here we prefer our drinks to be more on the tart side so ¼ cup works just great.  Plus I like for the

flavor and sweetness of the melon to speak out in the drink as well.  Mix it up and try out different ways to make

this drink your new favorite. 

We hope you enjoyed this mocktail, summer recipe, or as a cocktail.  Let us know if you decide to make

one for your event or just because.  This will keep in your fridge for about 3-5 days, depending on the container. 

Please remember to drink responsibly and always have a designated driver. Cheers!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Elderflower Smash

     

    Happy New Year, and welcome back to the Oaks Bed and Breakfast Herb Infused Cocktail series.  This year we hope to bring you some new and delicious cocktails that you can enjoy at home or with us, at one of our events.  With 2026, starting off strong we are hitting the ground running with a simple yet sip worthy cocktail. 

    We had a wonderful Holiday season and our cocktail was the hit of the party for several occasions and are welcoming new guests and events for this year, with another great round of seasonal cocktails to enjoy.  

First up is an Elderflower Smash.  Four simple ingredients pack a punch and this drink is definitely one you want to sip and savor throughout the evening. 

Elderflower Smash 

Single Serving

4 - 6 mint leaves

Juice of half a lemon

2 ounces Gin

1.5 Ounces St. Germain Elderflower liqueur

3 dashes of bitter

Add the mint and lemon juice to a shaker cup and muddle to meld the flavors together.  Once muddled, pour in the Gin, St. Germain, and bitters.  Fill shaker cup with ice.  Shake until the outside of the cup is very cold.  Pour into an ice filled glass.  Garnish with a slice of lemon and or fresh mint.

This drink is so very easy to make and just as easy to sip on while drinking.  Enjoy this drink with a delicious meal with friends around the fire pit.  These cooler evenings make for a wonderful atmosphere for friends to join together and make memories.

As always please drink responsibly and have a designated driver. Cheers!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Rosemary Smoke

 

With cold weather ahead for our Texas winter and this week being especially chilly, with even a bit of snow in the forecast, we have whipped up a tasty smoky drink for our herb infused cocktail of the month.  What makes the smoky flavor come out in this drink, is actually burning a little bit of rosemary into the glass you plan to serve your drink in.  I'm sure the flavor and strength of the smoke will be different based on how green your rosemary is.  Just use caution and be careful not to light your house on fire when preparing this drink.  Use a surface that is non-flammable and maybe some rosemary that is a little on the green side.  

Since ours was fresh cut, our rosemary proved to be a little difficult to light and gather smoke, but we managed to make it happen.  While you are preparing the drink, start off by capturing the smoke in the glass.  Light your rosemary and place on a non-flammable surface and top with serving glass.  This will hold in the smoke while you prepare your drink.  

Now I like a little tarter in my drink, so I used more lemon juice, so based on your flavor preference feel free to increase or decrease to fit your needs.  Our recipe is a starting point for your enjoyment.  We also used Jack Daniels as our whiskey today, but you could use a rye based, which will make for a different flavor in your drink.  

Rosemary Smoke

1 ounce Whiskey

3/4 ounce lemon juice

1/2 ounce rosemary simple syrup

splash of bubbly drink

Burn a little rosemary and cover with your serving glass.  In a shaker cup combine your whiskey, lemon juice and simple syrup.  Shake until the outside starts to condensate.  Flip your smoky cup oven and add in some ice.  Pour your drink over the ice and give it a little splash of a bubbly drink.  Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

The bubbly drink you select can be your own as well.  Sweeter maybe go with a ginger beer.  A little drier club soda or tonic water.  We use some sparkling water, mostly because we always have that on hand. Now personally I do not enjoy the smoky smell of the drink when sipping, but the flavors together make for a delish drink of choice.

As a reminder we make our simple syrup from scratch.  This time be sure to add in a few springs of rosemary while cooking. One to one on the water to sugar and you have a great flavored syrup for your drink.

Mix and match to find your favorite way to serve this simple drink.  Enjoy with friends around the fire pit this winter and let us know how you like it.  As always enjoy your drink responsibly and have a designated driver.  Cheers!