How to use seasonal ingredients in your favourite cocktail

When you understand the seasonality of local produce you can measure when they are at their peak flavour and use them in their best form. A juicy peach in the pinnacle of its season will have a much more intense concentration of flavour you’ll have the privilege to use. Planning that out means you can make a much tastier drink down the road.

Knowing the story of a product (the farm, the area, the market you got it from and its journey) means you can connect with it more deeply, consuming that thing will become more enjoyable. We have the privilege of having our own farm, Common Ground Project within The Mulberry Group. We love taking the team down to the farm to learn about seasonality and how we can utilise our amazing produce in our menus. It also means you’re practising or encouraging sustainability as a mindset with less distance to travel and less imports of goods.

I start by making a seasonality list. I have a list of ingredients we can get here in Australia, with local produce at the top of the list. You can find this info from local markets, produce vendors and suppliers, websites of farms in your area, etc.

Based on a 7 seasonal calendar I estimate when these products might be at the peak of their season and plan to use them down the road. If the produce is tasting beautiful in the current season, I might preserve it for use in our pantry for drinks down the road, changing and concentrating its flavour even more.

In a classic cocktail you’ve got a set recipe. Think about what produce you’d like to use and how it can fit into the recipe. Is it naturally sweet? Make a syrup or oleo and use it instead of the sugar in the recipe. Is it sour? Swap it out for a bit of the citrus in a sour. Want more flavour? Use the skins to infuse into part of the spirit to extract more flavour. Think about how you can transform the ingredients to manipulate their flavour, extraction, juicing, cooking, caramelising or candying can all be ways to have fun with a single ingredient.

On our menu at Molli we choose one or two ‘Hero Ingredients’ or ingredients we’d love to shine in a drink. ‘Daydreaming’ is our seasonal sour on the menu. We used quince at the peak of its season and poached it into a preserve. Doburoku, or house rice wine, was fermented and infused with chamomile and paired together in a creamy gin/pisco sour variation.

I love peaches and stone fruits! I can’t wait for their season to roll around. On that line, mangoes have a special place in my heart. Their flavour is so potent and nostalgic. They add texture and heaps of aromats as well. There’s nothing better than that smell of sweet ripe peaches or mangoes.

As well, I love the flower season in spring. So many shrubs and trees will flower in spring, it's such a beautiful delicate product to use. For me, when a product is in season it reflects a unique moment in time and an opportunity to enjoy something noteworthy and fleeting.

Seasonality is far more nuanced than the auto-response of summer hot = light and fruity / winter = warm spice and dark spirits. This new menu at Johnny's Green Room was about celebrating the change into winter. We wanted to demonstrate that a rooftop (even in Melbourne) was something to get excited about and not simply endured as we count down the days to Summer.

My starting point with JGR always begins with Italian culture and how that can be expressed through a menu in a fresh and innovative way.

Winter is a celebration in the Alpine regions. For generations, it's attracted royalty, artists, writers, Hollywood stars and those aspiring to sneak into high society. I wanted to engage with the swagger and attitude of Cortina in winter through our new menu.

Embrace the 'less is more' philosophy. Stick to proven principles and make subtle tweaks rather than overhauls.

For instance, enhance a darker cocktail with a dash of spice or a whisper of amaro to elevate its profile. When mixing martinis, consider a splash of herbal liqueur for a refined twist. And don't overlook seasonal herbs—garnishes can be more than just decorative; they’re opportunities for flavour and a personal touch.

Visit your most trusted fruit stall and sample the best in-season produce—it’s an excellent way to inspire your choices. If you’re fortunate enough to have a garden, explore its current bounty; herbs in bloom can provide exquisite garnishes. Remember, citrus is at its zenith right now, and it’s a versatile foundation that’s often overlooked.