This Leafy Green Is Giving Cocktails Their Bite

“The first thing I want as soon as I feel springtime start to come on is a Gin Basil Smash,” says Josh Conley, owner of Memphis’ Bar Limina, which opened in May. Four months later, his own take on the modern classic feels right at home in every season. 

Conley’s drink, which he describes as a “soft sour,” actually skips the basil. To make it, he infuses black tea into the gin, calls on a Champagne-based syrup and—in lieu of the herb—adds a “pinch” of arugula leaves to the tin that injects a dose of peppery, vegetal flavor to the cocktail. 

Across the country, other bars make use of the leafy greens, too. At Rose Marie in Brooklyn, arugula-infused tequila meets the herbal tones of génépy in the Sun Green, a refreshing, layered cocktail topped with freshly grated pepper. At Real Charmer in Los Angeles, arugula grounds a mix of black peppercorns, olives, rosemary and dill in the maximalist Meze Martini.