Garden-to-Table Recipe: A Nasturtium Cocktail, Freshly Picked

When we spotted this riff on a gin martini at Olmsted, the new Brooklyn restaurant whose hardworking kitchen garden we featured yesterday, we had to get the recipe. When nasturtiums are in season, head bartender Mike Bohn snips leaves from the restaurant’s back garden and uses them both in the infused gin and as a clever garnish in the glass. This is the only cocktail recipe you need to kick off a late-summer weekend in style.

Photography by Evan Sung, courtesy of Olmsted.

The Nasturtium

Recipe courtesy of Olmsted

2.25 ounces of nasturtium-infused gin (see below)
.75 ounce of Dolin Blanc vermouth
4 dashes of bay leaf tincture (see below)
1 nasturtium petal or flower as garnish

Instructions: Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a nasturtium petal or the flower for an extra peppery finish.

Nasturtium-infused gin:

2 grams nasturtium leaves
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 cup Spring 44 Old Tom gin

Instructions:  Blend all ingredients together and taste for spiciness. You can add a few more nasturtium leaves for a bit more bite. Strain through a fine strainer or cheese cloth. Liquid should be clear and bright.

Bay leaf tincture:

4 ounces of vodka (100 proof or higher)
5 crushed dry bay leaves

Instructions: Pour vodka into a sealable container and add bay leaves. Shake and allow to sit at room temperature for three days, shaking a couple of times day. Then strain into a dropper bottle and use in cocktails.

See more of our favorite garden-to-table cocktails, including The Ethicurean Apple Flip and Basil’s Last Stand: A Frozen Cocktail Recipe.

Finally, get more ideas on how to successfully plant, grow, and care for nasturtium with our Nasturtium: A Field Guide.

Interested in other annuals for your garden? Get more ideas on how to plant, grow, and care for various annuals with our Annuals: A Field Guide.

Finally, get more ideas on how to plant, grow, and care for various vines and climbers with our Vines & Climbers: A Field Guide.