The Gardener Cocktail from Matsuhisa Vail: It’s incredible

Every year for the last decade or so (with the exception of 2 pandemic years) I’ve done a ski trip to Vail, Colorado.

It’s one of my favorite places on Earth, and each time I go there’s now certain things you have to do:

The pork shank at Mountain Standard…

Ski the back bowls…

Get a Gardener cocktail at Matsuhisa.

Matsuhisa is chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s Vail restaurant and one of the best spots in town.

The first time we went 8 years ago. My dad and I got a reservation and they tried to sit us at the worst table in the place. The bar was wide open, and had an epic view of the mountain – so we made the switch.

Now every year we visit, we show up at 5, grab a seat at the bar and reflect on an epic week, and the fact that we’ve been so fortunate to take this trip together for so many years.

The Gardener from Matsuhisa Vail

2021 marked the first time in 8 years I didn’t visit Vail.

Throw not just missing out on the sentimental trip, but missing out on any trip, and being relatively housebound due to COVID, and I was pretty bummed about it.

So I began thinking about how I could reclaim at least a little slice of those memories and that experience.

And it hit me: The Gardener.

I’ve traveled all over the world visiting bars, and I have yet to really come across a drink like this.

It’s sweet, earthy, spicy, and absolutely delicious. You get your choice of ordering it with gin or tequila (or mezcal if you’re really in the know), and regardless of which way you prefer it? It’s amazing.

There’s just one problem. Despite ordering every year, I had no idea how to make it.

I knew it had cilantro and some kind of pepper. That’s about as far as I got.

Being the resourceful human I am, I turned to Google “Gardener cocktail Matsuhisa” and fortunately this post from Mezcal PhD popped up.

So after a quick trip to the local co-op for some fresh product? I was in business.

This is the rare cocktail that can please just about anyone. Seriously, I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t love it in one of its three incarnations (gin, tequila, or mezcal).

It hits all the right notes for a unique drink, and I can already tell this will be a staple at my house this summer.

Read More: 10 of our favorite summer cocktails.

And while it’s not the absolute fastest cocktail to make, it’s certainly not difficult, provided you have a halfway decent blender.

How to Make Matsuhisa’s Gardener Cocktail

I halved the recipe that I found online, because well, I simply didn’t need that much syrup.

To make this drink you first create a kind of herbal, earthy simple syrup. Here’s what you need for about 12oz worth:

• 30 grams of cilantro tops
• 13 grams of fresh peeled ginger
• 6 grams of de-seeded serrano pepper
• 12 oz cold simple syrup (if it’s not cold, it can discolor the syrup)

Combine all of this in a blender, and blend until a nice puree. 

From there, strain through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois and put into the bottle.

And once you’ve done that? The cocktail is super easy:

• 1 oz Gardener Puree
• 1oz Lime Juice
• 2oz Spirit of Your Choice (Gin, Tequila, Mezcal)
• Combine in a shaker and away you go!

Why I Love Cocktails So Much

I had my doubts that this would truly be the drink I remembered – but lo and behold: it was perfect.

One of my favorite things about cocktails is how flavors can transport you back to another place.

Whether it’s drinking Islay Scotch and remembering our road trip across the island, or making an Atlas Martini and feeling like part of the jet-set elite in Singapore – a well-executed cocktail can transport you.

And that’s exactly what the Gardener did for me.

It took me back to those nights in Vail.

For 20 minutes it allowed me to reminisce about times past and times to come.

And going through the process added one more killer cocktail to my repertoire.

So while the Gardener may not elicit the same memories for you that it did for me, if you start making this wonderful cocktail at home, it will most certainly help you create some new ones.

Use the Puree within 3 days in the refrigerator, and then freeze after that.

Fortunately in 2024, we’re able to travel again and I just returned from my annual pilgrimage. And guess what?

I’m happy to report that The Gardener cocktail is as good as ever.