Home-grown Asian herbs add a fresh twist to gin cocktails at Aqua Spirit

One of the major trends in mixology in recent years has been the use of fresh herbs. Bartenders like them for both their visual and their aromatic appeal, and increasingly are treating them not so much as garnishes but as part of the architecture of drinks.

“If you think about the signature classic cocktails, herbs and leaves don’t feature, but now they are being used extensively, and they work particularly well with gin,” says Rohit Gurung, bar manager of Aqua Spirit, in Tsim Sha Tsui, and The Dispensary, in Tai Kwun, in Central.

This increased use of herbs has developed in tandem with the global gin boom, although the few examples of classic drinks that do feature fresh herbs promi­nently are based on other spirits, and in many cases call for mint. These include the bourbon-based mint julep – in its earliest form believed to date back to the 18th century – and the rum-based mojito, which, under one name or another, may have been consumed since the 1500s.

Historically, mint may have been parti­cularly popular partly because it grows like a weed, which makes it easy to maintain a reliable supply. The appearance of sprigs of thyme, rosemary, basil and coriander in cocktail glasses is a more recent develop­ment, but they are all, in Gurung’s opinion, useful additions to the bartender’s arsenal.

“The mojito was the first cocktail I made in which a herb was important, because obviously the mint makes it, and I’ve made many more cocktails with fresh herbs since. I like using coriander and shiso, and gener­ally it’s fun to play around with different herbs. They can make subtle but important changes to a drink and give it that stamp of individuality,” he says.