Best for
Mojitos, gimlets, margaritas, spritzes, mules, smashes, sours, simple syrups, and fresh cocktail garnishes.
All guidesHarvest-Ready Herb Garden
Cocktail Bar Herb Garden
A complete guide to growing and using fresh mojito mint, basil, and lemon balm.
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Table of contents
Welcome
Welcome to Your Garden
Fresh herbs can turn simple cocktails into something that feels crafted, seasonal, and a little more special. A few fresh leaves can brighten citrus, lift a spritz, deepen a smash, or make a classic cocktail feel fresh from the garden.
Mojito mint brings cool, refreshing flavour for mojitos, mules, rum drinks, and fresh cocktail garnishes. Basil adds a sweet, aromatic note that pairs beautifully with citrus, berries, cucumber, gin, vodka, tequila, and sparkling cocktails. Lemon balm brings a soft lemony fragrance that works especially well in light, citrus-forward drinks.
This garden brings together three fragrant herbs for cocktails, garnishes, muddled drinks, simple syrups, and fresh garden-inspired mixes.
Your Cocktail Bar Herb Garden arrives fully grown, pre-potted, and ready to harvest. There is no transplanting, no seed starting, and no guesswork.
Start with a thorough watering in the sink, let it drain, then place it somewhere bright. Your first-day steps are below.
First day care
Three steps to get started
Unpack your garden, give it a thorough watering, and find a bright spot to help it settle in.
1. Unpack your garden
Unpack your garden as soon as it arrives and remove all packing material. Set any cover pot aside and place the grow pot in the sink.
2. Water and let it drain
Run tap water gently over the soil until it is fully saturated and water flows from the drainage holes. Leave the grow pot in the sink for about a minute, or until excess water has finished draining.
3. Find a bright spot
Place the drained grow pot inside your cover pot or on a saucer, then set your garden in a bright location. No repotting needed.
Settling in
A few things to know
A note about your pots
Your garden grows in a 6.7-inch grow pot that fits inside our optional 7-inch cover pots. Keep your herbs planted in the grow pot; do not plant directly into a cover pot, as it has no drainage holes.
Wait on big harvests
Let your garden adjust for 48 hours before heavier picking. This gives the plants time to settle into their new home.
What to expect
A few bent stems or tired-looking leaves can happen after shipping. After the first watering, give your herbs bright light and time to settle. Check the soil before watering again.
Light & water
Keep care simple
Light
Place your garden in bright natural light, such as a sunny windowsill, kitchen counter near a window, or covered patio. These herbs grow best in a bright, comfortable spot with good airflow.
When to water
Push a finger about an inch into the soil. If that top inch feels dry, it is time to water. If it still feels damp, wait and check again the next day.
How to water
Take the grow pot to the sink, removing any cover pot first. Gently soak the soil with tap water until water flows through the drainage holes. Let it drain for about a minute, or until excess water has finished draining, then return it to your cover pot or saucer.
Rotation
Turn the pot every few days so all sides receive direct light. This helps the garden grow more evenly and keeps the herbs easier to harvest.
Avoid standing water
Always water the grow pot in the sink. If you use a cover pot, never water directly into it. Empty any water that collects in the cover pot or saucer so the roots do not sit in standing water, which can cause rot.
Meet your herbs
Three fresh herbs for cocktails
Mojito Mint
Flavour
Smooth, cool, and refreshing. Mojito mint is especially useful for mojitos, mules, rum drinks, citrus cocktails, crushed-ice drinks, and fresh garnishes.
Care note
Mojito mint grows quickly. Harvest it regularly to keep it full, fresh, and balanced.
Basil
Flavour
Sweet, fragrant, and aromatic. Basil pairs beautifully with lemon, lime, berries, cucumber, gin, vodka, tequila, white rum, and sparkling cocktails.
Care note
Basil likes warmth, bright light, and steady moisture. Pinch off flower buds if they appear so the plant stays focused on leafy growth.
Lemon Balm
Flavour
Soft, lemony, and gently herbal. Lemon balm is especially nice in spritzes, gin cocktails, vodka cocktails, citrus drinks, sparkling cocktails, and simple syrups.
Care note
Lemon balm grows best with steady moisture and regular trimming. Harvest small amounts often to keep the plant fresh and full.
Harvesting
Snip a little, often
Small, regular harvests are better than one large cut. Use clean scissors or herb snips, take what you need for the cocktail, and leave plenty of leafy growth behind so the garden can keep producing.
For the freshest flavour and aroma, harvest herbs shortly before using them. Cocktail herbs are best when they still look lively, fragrant, and green.
Mojito Mint
Snip stems just above a pair of leaves. Use the tender top growth for the freshest flavour.
Basil
Snip the top of a stem just above a pair of leaves. This encourages basil to branch and grow fuller.
Lemon Balm
Snip tender stems from the top of the plant. Harvest small amounts often to encourage fresh new growth.
Easy ways to use them
Simple Ideas for Cocktails
This garden is built for fresh, aromatic cocktails. Mojito mint, basil, and lemon balm can be muddled, shaken, stirred, infused into syrups, or used as fresh garnishes to make simple drinks feel more crafted.
Use herbs as cocktail garnishes
Fresh herbs add aroma before you even take a sip. A small sprig on top of a drink can make it feel brighter, fresher, and more finished. Mojito mint brings cool freshness, basil adds sweet aroma, and lemon balm adds a soft lemony note.
- Mojitos
- Gin and tonics
- Vodka sodas
- Margaritas
- Spritzes
- Mules
- Sours
- Martinis
Use herbs in muddled cocktails
Muddling gently presses the leaves so their flavour moves into the drink. The goal is to bruise the herbs lightly, not crush them into pieces. Mojito mint is classic for mojitos and mules. Basil is excellent with berries, lemon, gin, and vodka. Lemon balm works beautifully with citrus and lighter cocktails.
- Lime
- Lemon
- Berries
- Cucumber
- Peach
- Simple syrup
- Sugar
- Citrus juice
Use herbs in simple syrup
Herb simple syrup is one of the easiest ways to bring fresh garden flavour into cocktails. To make a basic herb syrup, steep fresh herbs in warm simple syrup, then strain and chill before using.
- Gin cocktails
- Vodka cocktails
- Spritzes
- Whiskey sours
- Margaritas
- Daiquiris
- French 75-style drinks
- Sparkling cocktails
Pair each herb with the right spirits
- Mojito mint works especially well with rum, vodka, gin, tequila, and bourbon.
- Basil works beautifully with gin, vodka, tequila, white rum, and sparkling wine.
- Lemon balm pairs well with gin, vodka, white rum, sparkling wine, and citrus-forward cocktails.
Easy cocktail ideas
- Mojito: Use mojito mint with lime, sugar, rum, and soda water.
- Basil Gimlet: Shake gin, lime, simple syrup, and fresh basil.
- Mint Julep: Use mojito mint with bourbon, sugar, and crushed ice.
- Basil Margarita: Shake tequila, lime, orange liqueur, and basil.
- Lemon Balm Spritz: Use lemon balm with sparkling wine, citrus, and soda water.
- Cucumber Basil Gin & Tonic: Add basil and cucumber to a classic gin and tonic.
- Strawberry Basil Smash: Muddle basil with strawberries, lemon, and gin or vodka.
- Moscow Mule: Add mojito mint to vodka, lime, and ginger beer.
Simple recipes
Simple Recipes
Rum
Mojito with Mojito Mint
Ingredients
- Fresh mojito mint leaves
- Lime juice
- Sugar or simple syrup
- White rum
- Ice
- Soda water
Directions
In a glass, gently muddle fresh mojito mint leaves, lime juice, and sugar or simple syrup. Add white rum, ice, and soda water. Stir gently and garnish with extra mojito mint.
How to use
Mojito mint gives a mojito its classic cool, refreshing flavour.
Gin
Basil Gimlet
Ingredients
- Gin
- Lime juice
- Simple syrup
- Fresh basil leaves
- Ice
Directions
In a shaker, combine gin, lime juice, simple syrup, and fresh basil leaves. Shake with ice, then strain into a glass. Garnish with a small basil sprig or leaf.
How to use
Basil adds a sweet, aromatic note that works beautifully with gin and lime.
Bourbon
Mint Julep
Ingredients
- Fresh mojito mint leaves
- Sugar or simple syrup
- Bourbon
- Crushed ice
Directions
In a glass or julep cup, gently muddle fresh mojito mint leaves with sugar or simple syrup. Add bourbon and crushed ice. Stir until cold and garnish with extra mojito mint.
How to use
Mojito mint brings the clean, cooling flavour that makes a julep feel fresh.
Smash
Strawberry Basil Smash
Ingredients
- Fresh strawberries
- Fresh basil leaves
- Lemon juice
- Simple syrup
- Gin or vodka
- Ice
Directions
In a shaker, muddle fresh strawberries, fresh basil leaves, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Add gin or vodka and ice. Shake and strain over fresh ice.
How to use
Basil pairs beautifully with berries and citrus, giving the drink a fresh garden aroma.
Spritz
Lemon Balm Spritz
Ingredients
- Sparkling wine
- A splash of soda water
- Lemon juice or lemon syrup
- Fresh lemon balm leaves
- Ice
Directions
In a glass with ice, combine sparkling wine, a splash of soda water, lemon juice or lemon syrup, and fresh lemon balm leaves. Stir gently and garnish with extra lemon balm.
How to use
Lemon balm adds a soft lemony fragrance that works well in light, sparkling cocktails.
Lifespan & refills
Keep fresh herbs coming
Expect around 1–2 months of fresh herbs, depending on care and how much you harvest. These are living plants, so every garden will grow at its own pace.
Plan your next refill
Refill every 1–2 months for a fresh supply of herbs. Your new garden arrives in its own grow pot, ready to fit inside the same cover pot.
An easy swap
Remove the old grow pot and compost the old herbs. Water and drain your new garden, then place it in your empty cover pot or on a saucer.
Subscribe and save
Subscribe to regular refills to save and have a fresh garden delivered every 1–2 months. Keep your cover pot and simply swap in each new garden.
Need a hand?
We’re here to help
If anything looks concerning, please reach out to us at support@herbwild.com as soon as possible so we can help. We want you to succeed, and your plants are backed by our 15-day satisfaction guarantee.