Wether you enjoy alcoholic beverages or something milder like tea, many plants work to enhance the flavor of your drink. Growing plants for this purpose can really help inject some new and unique flavors into your drinks; nothing beats the taste of a fresh herb. Today, we’re going to look at the best plants to grow for drink lovers, and see a couple of great additions to any garden.
Mint
First up, we have one of the most popular plants for drinks, mint. Mint is one of the most versatile plants for drinks, and works with almost anything, adding a delicious flavor. This ranges from alcoholic beverages, to teas, to water, and everything else. This versatility makes it a fantastic plant to start with, or excellent for those with limited room looking to get the most bang for their buck.
Mint is extremely easy to grow, and even new gardeners should have little trouble with this plant. It grows best in medium light locations, and requires watering every couple of days. Mint does well in containers, and can be grown in nearly any size container from a small windowsill container to a large planter box.
Good For: Mojitos, Mules, Many Teas – Pretty Much Anything
Growing Tips: Mint grows like a weed, so carefully segment it if planted by other plants. Otherwise, it’s liable to take over their area, and potentially kill them by stealing nutrients.
Lemon/Lime
Next up, we have the popular acidic fruits lemon and lime. Both of these are also extremely versatile, and can be used in a wide variety of drinks both alcoholic and non. The only downside when compare to mint, is that these are both much more difficult to grow, and won’t be as plentiful as a mint plant will be.
Both of these are a bit tricky to grow, but no impossible. Start with a dwarf tree for easier indoor growing, and be prepared to provide consistent care for several years before it bears fruit.
Good For: Almost anything, makes a great addition to most alcoholic beverages, teas, soda, or water.
Growing Tips: The most important thing when growing any fruit is sunlight. For a lemon/lime plant to thrive you need a bright sunny area that gets 10+ hours of light per day, or supplement with grow lights.
Ginger
Ginger is another pungent plant that can be added to a wide variety of drinks. It makes a great addition to a large number of cocktails, and those that enjoy the taste will find it perfect for teas and other drinks as well. It does have quite a strong taste though, so it’s certainly not for everyone. That said, small amounts can still be used to add flavor without being overpowering.
Good For: Mules, beers, teas.
Growing Tips: The best way is to start with a living ginger root and plant that in a spot that gets indirect sunlight. After a few weeks, you’ll be able to harvest, and when done correctly the plant will continue to produce for additional harvests.
Lavender
Lavender is a very fragrant herb that is enjoyed in a wide variety of drinks. While it’s great for cocktails, there are also tons of recipes for things like lavender lemonade. Being such a fragrant herb, it’s easy to simple take a sprig of lavender, and drop it right into your drink of choice!
Lavender is also quite easy to grow and doesn’t require a ton of care. It’s quite a drought tolerant plant, so it’s great for the forgetful gardener or those with busy schedules. You’re much more likely to kill this plant with too much water rather than too little.
Good For: Various cocktails, lemonades
Growing Tips: Give it a few hours of bright sunlight per day and take care not to overwater. Prune often to promote bushy growth and lots of fragrant flowers for your drinks.
Chamomile
A good option for non-alcohol drinkers, chamomile has been used to make teas for centuries. You can buy chamomile tea off the shelf, but nothing beats home growing it yourself. Chamomile has also be used as an herbal remedy for various ailments for centuries, and some swear by it.
Chamomile, like many other herbs, is quite easy to grow. It requires a nice sunny spot, but only moderate upkeep to keep healthy and thriving.
Good For: Teas and infused water.
Growing Tips: A very easy to grow herb, give it 3-4 hours of bright sunlight per day and water roughly once a week. This easy care schedule makes it ideal for those not looking to invest a lot of time in their plants care.
Basil
A popular cooking herb, basil is also used to make a wide variety of drinks. For cocktails, those with gin and rum work great with basils flavor, but you can also use other alcohols as well. For other drinks, basil infused water and lemonade are a popular and delicious summer drink.
Basil is fairly easy to grow, but does require a bit more light than many other herbs. Make sure to provide it a sunny spot to live, and it will thrive and provide multiple harvests per year.
Good For: Rum and gin drinks, mojitos, and water/lemonades.
Growing Tips: Another easy herb that with bright sunlight will grow fantastically. Can also be grown in small windowsill pots for those with limited space.
Rosemary
Last up, we have rosemary. Rosemary is another fragrant herb, that has a very distinctive scent and flavor. For drinks, it makes a great addition to many acidic beverages. It pairs particularly well with lemon, lime, and grapefruit flavored cocktails. It can also be used to infuse water for those that enjoy it’s wonderful flavor.
Rosemary is one of the more difficult herbs to grow, mainly due to its higher lighting needs. That’s not to say it’s difficult though, and with a little patience it’s doable for most gardeners.
Good For: Lemon/lime/grapefruit flavor cocktails, water and tea.
Growing Tips: Rosemary likes a lot of light, as in 6-8 hours per day. They also require good air circulation around it or they may develop a powdery mildew which can harm the plant.
Best Plants To Grow For Drink Lovers
While certainly not exhaustive, hopefully this list has inspired you try growing a new plant this year. The great thing about gardening, is that nearly every plant, flower, and herb has it’s own distinctive flavors, and there are tons of delicious ones out there. There are a ton of great drink recipes out there that use every imaginable plant, so don’t be afraid to branch out. Whether you enjoy alcoholic cocktails or something a little more tame, there’s a plant out there for you!
