Dirty Work: Mezcal and Garden Herbs Are a Match Made in Heaven

Welcome back to Dirty Work, our series of dispatches from the MUNCHIES Garden. We're inviting chefs, bartenders, and personalities in the world of food and drink to explore our edible playground and make whatever the hell inspires them with our rooftop produce. The results: MUNCHIES Garden recipes for you, dear reader.

It might be winter, but it's always mezcal season. Or at least that's what we learned when GG's beverage director, Gabriel Richter, swung by our MUNCHIES Garden a few weeks ago.

And with one of the weirdest and warmest winter weather patterns in New York City—er, possibly, ever—our urban flora has been having a bit of an identity crisis.

But now that bone-chilling temperatures and seasonal affective disorder have fully settled in, it's time for a stiff drink, but one that reminds us of sunnier times and hard bodies. Winter is the time to slow down, hibernate, and never leave home unless you have to, so making a complicated cocktail is out of the question. "I like to keep cocktails to a small number of ingredients so I can taste everything in the drink, and when I'm making them at home, I keep the equipment as simple as possible. I've been known to stir drinks with my finger," said Richter. We couldn't agree more.

So when Richter swung by the garden—while it was on the last legs of LA-style weather—he was shocked to discover that our lemon thyme, winter thyme, rosemary, and pineapple sage were alive and kicking. "For a while, I had been looking for excuses to drink mezcal and tequila in the fall and winter, and honey and winter herbs can make any spirit better suited for cold weather."

After harvesting the herbs, Richter quickly got to work by concocting an herbaceous simple syrup with hot water and sweet, golden honey.

He then added mezcal, freshly squeezed lime juice, Gran Classico Bitter, and the simple syrup to a cocktail shaker, shook the whole damn thing, and poured it over ice. "I like to call this cocktail the 'Saint Fiacre,' named after the patron saint of gardening and medicinal herbs, so bartenders owe him some kind of debt, if you believe in that sort of thing. He's also considered the patron of venereal diseases, but I guess I wouldn't mention that."

The final result is a perfect balance of sweet, tart, and bitter flavors with a punch of fresh herbs to remind you of tropical times and maybe even protect you from venereal disease. Just don't have one too many.