The Herbalist
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 14.5% ABV ∙
The Herbalist is a shaken gin sour built on celery dry gin, fresh celery juice, kummel liqueur, and lemon, served up in a coupe. Savory celery snap leads, kummel's caraway warmth threading underneath, with a clean citrus tartness and a light sweetness keeping the finish crisp rather than green.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Celery dry gin 30 mlCelery juice 30 mlKummel liqueur 15 mlLemon juice 15 mlSugar syrup 5 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a celery ribbon around the inside of the glass
Tips
- Fine-strain after shaking to keep celery fiber and ice shards out of the coupe for a smooth, clear pour.
- Pre-chill the glass before straining so the drink doesn't lose its edge before it's served.
- Extract the celery juice fresh just before shaking; it oxidizes and turns dull-tasting within a few hours.
- Wrap the celery ribbon garnish around the inside of the glass rather than dropping it in, so its aroma greets the nose on every sip.
History
The Herbalist is a modern celery-and-caraway sour credited to Jiri Majerik, bar manager at Blixen, a restaurant and bar in Spitalfields, London, who created the recipe around 2018. The drink pairs a celery-flavored gin with kummel, a caraway-seed liqueur, reflecting the celery-focused profile of the gin used in the original build.
FAQ
What is an herbal cocktail?
An herbal cocktail leans on botanical, savory, or bitter flavors instead of straight fruit and sugar. The Herbalist earns the name through celery dry gin and kummel, a caraway-and-cumin liqueur, giving it a savory, herbaceous profile rather than a sweet one.
What alcoholic drink is made from herbs?
Many spirits and liqueurs are built from herbs and botanicals, including gin, kummel, chartreuse, and various amari. The Herbalist uses two of these directly: a celery-forward dry gin and kummel, a clear liqueur flavored with caraway, cumin, and fennel, shaken with fresh celery juice and lemon for a savory, botanical drink.
