Although Parsley may be best known as a common herb and simple garnish on American plates, its use in Parsley cocktails is sure to crank up your appreciation of the common herb. With 30 different varieties available it might be easy to get confused, but Italian or Flat-Leaf Parsley is generally a better choice since it has a more pungeant flavor.
As with many herbs, Parsley has its roots in ancient history. The Romans not only wore garlands of it on their heads to ward off intoxication during feasts, but gave wreaths of Parsley to newlyweds to ward off evil spirits. So does this mean that Parsley cocktails possess a little medieval magic? Maybe…
What Does Parsley Taste Like?
Although many feel that it has little flavor, Parsley imparts a fresh flavor that can be best described as slightly peppery with an almost anise-like quality. As a “parent” of a plant family that includes other herbs like Cilantro, Dill and Fennel, Parsley tends to be milder. As a result subtley flavored spirits are an ideal match for Parsley cocktails.
How to Pronounce Parsley
Through its extensive use in both cooking and as a natural remedy, Parsley is a fairly common herb with which most people should be familiar. Regardless for those that haven’t encountered this herb, its pronunciation is fairly simple:
2 Parsley Cocktails to Get You Started
Finding and experimenting with recipes with Parsley proved to be much more of a challenge than we bargained for, since it’s health benefits have been widely reported but we finally encountered a couple Parsley cocktails that made the cut. To be clear these drinks won’t help you eliminate belly fat or cleanse your liver, but they do taste good 😉
Parsley Gin Julep
Although almost everyone is familiar with the classic mint version, this Gin Julep that includes Parsley is equally as tasty. Refreshing and light, it definitely lives up to the original Julep’s purpose as a refresher.
Ingredients
- 8 parsley leaves
- 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
- 3/4 ounce Simple Syrup
- Ice cubes, plus crushed ice
- 1 1/2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce chilled club soda
- 1 lime wheel
Instructions
- Combine Parsely, Lime Juice & Simple Syrup in a Cocktail Shaker; Muddle
- Add Gin & Ice
- Shake Well
- Strain Into a Collins Glass Filled With Crushed Ice
- Top With Club Soda
- Garnish with Lime Wheel
Jalapeno Parsley Martini
In this take on a classic martini, jalapeno and parsley are combined with citrus juices to create a sweet and slightly spicy cocktail.
Ingredients
Jalapeno Simple Syrup
Creating simple syrup is, well…. simple. Use our instruction on How to Infuse Syrups with the following ingredients to create a sweetener that’ll give your Martini a nice, spicy kick:
- 1/2 C sugar
- 1/2 C water
- 2 jalapeños, sliced
Cocktail
- 2 oz. Vodka
- 1 oz. Jalapeno Simple Syrup
- 1 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley Leaves
- 1 1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
- 3/4 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
Instructions
- Muddle Parsley with the Lemon and Lime Juice in a Cocktail Shaker
- Add Vodka, Jalapeno Simple Syrup and Ice
- Mix Well
- Rim a Cocktail Glass with Granulated Sugar
- Strain Cocktail into Glass
- Garnish with a Split Jalapeno
