5 Ways To Incorporate Lemongrass Into Your Cocktails

The taste of lemongrass is a unique one. Although it is certainly reminiscent of the lemon it's named for, it's much more complex than that, with earthy, herbal notes and an almost floral aroma. While you've most likely come across recipes that involve cooking with lemongrass in dishes like stir fries or curries, its complex flavor also makes this herb a favorite among mixologists when incorporated correctly. 

Lemongrass will pair with true citrus like lime and yuzu, herbal flavors like mint or basil, and warm spices like ginger and chili. When it comes to adding the ingredient to cocktails, however, there's some preparation involved. Lemongrass stems are tough and woody, so it's not a matter of simply juicing or throwing stalks in the blender as you might with fruit or other fresh herbs. But with a few tips and tricks from bartenders, you can learn different techniques for adding this fragrant ingredient to your favorite classic cocktails — or invent a few new ones yourself.

Infusing is the best technique to use when a cocktail relies on just a few simple ingredients, or where the flavor of the alcohol itself is important — think: a gin martini or a vodka soda. It's also your best option if you want to add flavor to a drink without adding any kind of sweetness or changing the texture of cocktail, which is often the case with puréed fruit.

You can infuse any spirit you like with lemongrass, but some of the best choices would be vodka if you want a neutral base, white rum to play on the plant's tropical origins, or gin to make the most of those unique botanical notes.

Effectively infusing spirits with lemongrass is simple; you just need time. Cut the lemongrass in half lengthwise, then slice into pieces that are around an inch long. Add them to the alcohol, ensuring that the lemongrass is completely submerged. You can get a subtle flavor after 24 hours, but leaving pieces to sit for two weeks is ideal. Strain out the stalks and keep this lemongrass liquor on hand to create a revamped gin and tonic.

Simple syrup is one of the key tools in a bartender's arsenal. Made from just sugar and water, it's the best way to sweeten cocktails in a professional situation. Granulated sugar can be hard to dissolve in cold liquids, so a simple syrup works as a shortcut, preventing sugar from collecting at the bottom of the glass and avoiding an unpleasant and gritty texture as you sip. It also provides more consistency as a shot of syrup can be measured more accurately than a heaping spoonful of sugar.

Although the base recipe is designed to have a neutral taste, it's easy to elevate simple syrup with different ingredients to use in particular cocktails. By adding two chopped lemongrass stalks to a cup of water and a cup of sugar, and simmering for 10 minutes, you'll have a fragrant lemongrass syrup.

This can be used for simple cocktails where you want lemongrass to be the featured flavor, such as in a vodka gimlet. Otherwise, it can help layer flavor in more complex drinks. Try adding lemongrass syrup to a classic Moscow mule, where it will play off of the profile of the ginger and the lime.

The tough texture of lemongrass stalks make it hard to juice or blend, but this sturdiness makes it an ideal contender for muddling. This technique is a favorite among bartenders and is sure to impress your guests. Muddling involves crushing fruits or herbs to release their essential oils, juices, and aromas before introducing other cocktail ingredients.

Muddling lemongrass stalks is a great way to extract the flavor without the time needed to create a syrup or infusion that will also reward you with a fresher taste. Take inspiration from classic muddled drinks and craft a mint julep or mojito. You can swap the mint out for lemongrass or use both for a burst of herb flavor.

It might seem as if muddling is just smashing away at your ingredients, but there are some dos and don'ts when it comes to muddling. It's best done in a tall and narrow glass, which will stop spillage. Using a firm but controlled press and twist motion with the muddler is also a must.

Lemongrass tea is exactly what it sounds like — an infusion of lemongrass in hot water. Unlike other herbal infusions or tea bags that can be left to steep, lemongrass needs to be boiled in the water to get the most flavor out of those woody stems.

Although this tea is full of flavor, it won't have the kick of an infused spirit or the heady sweetness of a lemongrass syrup. For this reason, it's better used in tall, refreshing cocktails or punches, rather than short drinks where it might be overshadowed by other ingredients.

Try pouring lemongrass tea into a ginger cooler spiked with vodka, simple Champagne spritzer, or boozy iced tea. Sweetened lemongrass iced tea works well a cocktail when spiked with vodka or rum, but it's also a great mocktail base for non-drinkers. The more sophisticated flavors will elevate the drink beyond the standard fruit juice or soda mix.

A unique cocktail garnish can take your homemade cocktails from simply tasty to seriously impressive. So put down that cheap cocktail umbrella and consider using your ingredients in new ways. The sturdy texture of lemongrass makes it ideal for garnishes that will last to the last drop, unlike limp slices of orange slung over the edge of a glass. 

When sliced into very thin strips, the green leaves can be turned into twists or curls for the top of your cocktail. If you're blessed with an abundance of lemongrass stalks, adding a whole stem to the cocktail has a real visual impact, and also serves as a swizzle stick. To ensure it adds flavor as well as panache, bruise the stalk with the back of a knife before placing into the glass.

If you really want to show off your mixology skills, you can flavor your glass with lemongrass smoke. This isn't as complicated as it sounds. Put the lemongrass on a fire-safe plate, set it alight, and turn your cocktail glass upside down to cover it. Once the glass has filled with smoke, remove it, and add the prepared drink.