Garden Sour

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Cocktail History

The Garden Sour is a modern cocktail that was created in 2017 by Giffard, a brand of liqueurs and syrups. The recipe was released alongside the premiere of their Rhubarbe Liqueur and was meant to highlight its unique spring-inspired flavor by pairing it with smoky mezcal, citrus, celery, and soda water.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Soda Water: This is a carbonated beverage made with water and dissolved carbon dioxide gas, which gives it a fizzy, neutral flavor.

Mezcal: This is a spirit made in Mexico with fermented agave and yeast, which are distilled after roasting agave hearts in underground pits to develop a smoky, complex flavor.

Rhubarb Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with rhubarb, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, tart flavor.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Rich Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with 2:1 white sugar and water, which are heated into a syrup with a sweet, sugary flavor.

Celery Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with celery, herbs, spices, botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop an earthy, slightly bitter flavor.

Rhubarb Ribbon: This is a rhubarb slice that has been thinly cut into a strip.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water
• 🔗 Del Maguey Vida Mezcal
• 🔗 Edinburgh Gin Distillery Rhubarb & Ginger Liqueur
• 🔗 Fee Brothers Celery Bitters

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker made with a large metal tin and a second tin or mixing glass that’s used for shaking and chilling cocktail ingredients.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is a flat metal strainer with a handle and a coiled spring around the edge that’s used for straining shaken cocktails from a shaker while holding back ice and solids.

Cutting Board: This is a flat, durable kitchen surface made from materials like wood or plastic that’s used for slicing ingredients and preparing garnishes.

Paring Knife: This is a small kitchen knife with a narrow, sharp blade that’s used for peeling fruit and trimming garnishes.

Electric Citrus Juicer: This is a kitchen appliance with a motorized reamer that’s used for quickly extracting juice from citrus fruits.

Fine Mesh Strainer: This is a mesh metal strainer with a tightly woven bowl and handle that’s used for straining out small ice shards and other solids while pouring cocktails from a shaker or mixing glass.

Measuring Cup: This is a kitchen tool with a handled cup and marked volume measurements that’s used for accurately measuring and pouring liquid ingredients.

Peeler: This is a handheld kitchen tool with a sharp blade that’s used for removing thin strips of peel from fruits and vegetables.

Straw: This is a thin tubular utensil that’s used for more slowly sipping cocktails and mixed drinks.

Highball Glass: This is a tall, slim glass that’s used for serving mixed drinks made with a larger proportion of non-alcoholic mixers.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Boston Shaker
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Hawthorne Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife
• 🔗 BLACK+DECKER 32 oz Electric Citrus Juicer
• 🔗 Barfly Silver Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Cocktail Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2 Cup Angled Measuring Cup
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2 Piece Peeler Set
• 🔗 Piteno Premium Glass Straw

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Pale pink with an ombré effect

• Aroma: Light, earthy agave and rhubarb

• Taste: Cooling flavor that features mezcal depth offset with, sweet rhubarb, citrus, and celery notes

• Finish: More grassy mezcal

Kendall’s Take: “I hadn’t tried very many spring mezcal drinks before tasting this one, but the Garden Sour is the most delightful I’ve come across so far. I really liked how refreshing the recipe was, and while the mezcal is prominent, it’s not overwhelming in any way. This is another great gateway to enjoying the smoky agave spirit’s taste in other beverages, and it’s a truly lovely, light, and airy sip for this time of year.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Difford’s Guide, an online guide to cocktails, spirits, and liqueurs.