The French have a word for it—“terroir.” It’s the combination of factors that include soil, climate, even sunlight that give their country’s famed wine grapes a distinctive character.
It’s a term that generally is applied in the context of winemaking. They also apply it to cheese, hence there are regional cheeses such as camembert, a soft, creamy cheese with a bloomy rind that hails from the lush cow pastures of Normandy.
But hey, we’re gardeners in Tidewater Virginia. Er, in some cases “gardeners” with air quotes—but we’re trying! Why not bring the backyard gardening terroir to what you grow and then carry those fresh ingredients to your kitchen to craft delightful cocktails or mocktails this summer?
Don’t overthink it because it’s a simple formula of garden to glass. And many of these ingredients are easy to grow—if you don’t know that mint will absolutely take over your garden, I’m not sure we can actually call you a gardener. For example, the classic mojito would surely taste better with mint from your garden, right?
Think Outside the Jar or Plate
Look around you as you wander in your garden. The ingredients might be all around you.
Did you plant cucumbers? Think outside the pickling jar, or sliced up in a bowl of salad, or cubed for a pasta salad. We may think of the understated cucumber as a vegetable. That would be wrong.
It’s a fruit—refreshing, crisp and versatile. It has a high water content and aromatic lift that’s perfectly suited for the cocktail arena, particularly in a glass.
Without even trying, we can literally think of six cocktails that cucumbers are cool with. Primarily because there’s a range of alcohols that are a great match with cucumbers. These include gin, tequila or vodka.
Let’s talk drinks. Try a cucumber gin cooler, for example. Or cucumber gin lemonade. The cucumber martini or a cucumber collins are both in play this summer. And not to get too crazy, but a watermelon cucumber cooler should be in the rotation as well. (See sample recipes on the following page.)
But let us not underestimate the power of a strawberry in a cocktail. Or cocktails, plural. As you know, strawberries are juicy, striking in color, sweet and tangy. They’re perfect in a margarita, piña colada or even a strawberry limoncello mint sangria.
A throwback photo of Dredge owner and chef Bryan Byrd before he became a restaurateur.
Turning to the Expert
But much of this is somewhat speculative if you’re new to making cocktails with your garden ingredients. Let’s pause and turn to an actual expert. In this case, Bryan Byrd, owner of Dredge Oyster & Seafood House, is the standout restaurant in Irvington that’s known locally and regionally for its cocktails, among other things. Virginia Living magazine has bestowed the title of “Best Cocktails” on Dredge for seven years running.
Byrd’s roots are firmly on the Northern Neck. He recalls as a kid biking down to the dock in the morning with two five-gallon buckets—one on each handlebar—and riding home with crabs in one and croaker in the other.
Byrd calls Dredge a high-volume restaurant. Which means they’re busy, especially in the stretch from Memorial Day to Labor Day when the restaurant pace is insane, Byrd said. “Our vibe here is turn and burn,” he said.
Byrd’s stepfather, Ray Reynolds, owned Barrack & Reynolds Seafood on Carter Creek before selling it in the 1990s. A theme at Dredge is fresh out of the water, or as Byrd says, “Boat to farm to table.”
The Concept of Really Fresh
Recently Byrd and his son, almost 4 years old, picked up soft-shell crabs right out of the water down at the dock.
“Daddy, why they still moving?”
“I said, ‘That’s good, son. That means it’s fresh,’ ” Byrd said. “He almost didn’t want to get in the truck. I said, ‘Well, it’s the crabs or you because the crabs are coming with me.’ ”
His son ended up getting in the truck, his dad said with a laugh.
Dredge features many island-themed cocktails, such as the Dredge Painkiller. The Painkiller cocktail was invented in the Virgin Islands; Dredge sticks to the original recipe of Pusser’s Original British Navy Rum, pineapple, fresh-squeezed orange juice, crème de coco, fresh nutmeg and orange.
They also feature a Key West Margarita and a Dragonberry Mojito— but their most famous drink bears the name of nearby Carter Creek; people line up for it, Byrd said. It’s the Carter Creek Mule and a featured ingredient is fresh mint, emphasis on fresh.
“We do a lot of fresh mint,” Byrd said, adding that many years ago someone planted mint on the patio and though they don’t use it for ingredients, it adds to the patio ambience.
Dredge’s Carter Creek Mule
The Carter Creek Mule features Cirrus Vodka from Richmond. Tracy Javier, a Washington D.C.-based cocktail curator, describes Cirrus Vodka as an American-born, full-bodied spirit that’s smooth with a creamy sweetness. Byrd said Cirrus Vodka is very similar to Tito’s, though Tito’s is a corn-based vodka and Cirrus is a potato-based vodka.
They combine the Cirrus Vodka with Dividing Creek Ginger Beer, cranberry juice, club soda, lime and, of course, fresh mint—fresh mint that’s peaking in flavor since it’s in season.
That’s a crucial point to remember—seasonal. Seasonal items from your garden will only enhance the flavor. Bring the terroir to your afternoon or evening cocktail, in other words.
As an example, Byrd said he uses a lot of rosemary in the winter, which makes sense because it’s available.
Dredge also features mocktails to capitalize on a growing trend of offering alcohol-free drinks. The three mocktails include:
- Lavender Lemonade, with lavender syrup and lemonade from fresh lemons.
- Paloma Fizz, with grapefruit juice and club soda with agave nectar and fresh lime.
- Ginger Brew Mule, with Maine Root Ginger Brew, fresh mint and lime.
Ready for your next favorite summer cocktail? Explore three refreshing Cucumber Cocktail Recipes just in time for summer.
Dredge Oyster & Seafood House I 4357 Irvington Road, Irvington I 804-438-6363 I dredgeirvingtonva.com
