Using fresh herbs and botanicals sourced from Chef James Diack’s family farm Brightside, Coobs is now offering guests a range of nature-inspired cocktails. Mixologist Jesse Chin (pictured) is behind the cocktails, and he uses plants ranging from fresh lemon, rooibos, rose, cardamom, grapefruit, lavender, ginger, elderflower, chamomile, honey, jasmine, green tea and violent to craft flavours that work together in the glass.
“My inspiration for the Coobs cocktails started with the overall feel of the restaurant – it reminded me of a garden with its wood panelled walls and light green hues. I then brought this into the cocktails by basing each drink on a flower, herb or botanical,” says Jesse
The herbs and botanicals are not the only ingredients that have been sourced from Brightside Farm for the cocktails – the ginger beer and lemon curd are also homemade on the farm. The cocktails will be updated on a seasonal basis so that they reflect Brightside’s ever-changing garden.
Inspired by old-world cocktails, Jesse has introduced new twists on the classics – creating unusual pairings that work harmoniously together, such as lemon and rooibos, and rose and cardamom. The Marbled Mary, for example, contains basil and wholegrain mustard, enticing senses other than just taste.
“My favourite cocktail on the new Coobs menu would have to be Aviation,” says Jesse. “It’s based on an old-school cocktail and needed a rare, imported liqueur to complete it. So, since we couldn’t buy it locally, I decided to make my own using candied violets from a local supplier. The spirit, love and hard work that went into bringing this drink to life makes it a clear frontrunner for me out of the bunch.”
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