The Botanist in Sheffield: New weird and wonderful 'plant themed' cocktail menu launched at popular city venue

Known for innovative and imaginative creations, the Leopold Square venue has delved even deeper into the art of botany for its latest offering just in time for Spring and Summer by bringing its unique brand to life through taste by exploring the life cycle of plants around the world.

In-house experts have created unique pairings and curious cocktails, derived from the most weird and wonderful flavours they could forage and working with local and seasonal produce, including beetroot, nasturtium and quince. Split into three phases, the menu allows the customer to sample the full lifecycle of a plant.

The ‘Roots & Shoots’ cocktails are herbaceous and aromatic, infused with flavours found in the roots and leaves. Refreshing and light, the ‘Flowers’ drinks are a delicate balance of bright blooms and fragrant florals, whilst the ‘Fruits’ concoctions are vibrant and zesty, savouring the freshest fruits of the season.

The menu encourages the customer to explore unique pairings derived from botanical flavours around the world. Standout drinks include passion fruit and basil, rhubarb and sage spritz, quince and chilli and jasmine and passion fruit.

Many of the options, including Quince & Cardamon, Strawberry & Elderflower Mojito and Pineapple & Blood Orange Sour have been specifically designed with non-alcoholic ingredients such as Lyre’s and Everleaf alcohol-free spirits and aperitifs, making up over a third of the menu.

Kelly Harrison, head of bars at The Botanist, said: “Our non-alcoholic offering has been designed and created to showcase all the flavours of the liquid without any alcohol.

“Rather than creating great cocktails and subsequently trying to remove the alcohol and maintain the flavour profile, which can be a big challenge, we start with a strong recipe for an alcohol-free drink then find the perfect alcohol to enhance the existing flavours, if the customer wishes.

“The drinks are made alcoholic by addition of spirits, rather than the other way around of removing alcohol and risking losing the complexity. It's our biggest and most complex offering yet.”

The new menu will also see the addition of ‘Perfect Pairings’ - carefully selected spirits with a unique and unexpected pairing, including macadamia and Cava, recycled banana and ginger and Japanese whisky and apricot.