The English Garden: A Cocktail Rooted in Place

Made with Thirsk Lodge Barns Gin, Yorkshire Wolds cloudy apple juice, fresh garden herbs and a bright elderflower lift, it is a classic reimagined through local produce, sustainable sourcing and beautifully balanced flavour.

A little taste of the garden, poured over ice. Floral, herbal, sharp and sweet in all the right places, The English Garden brings together Yorkshire gin, cloudy apple juice and fresh mint and thyme picked straight from the Newsham cocktail garden.

There are some drinks that feel as though they could only belong to one place. The English Garden is one of them. It is fresh without being too sharp, floral without being too sweet, and gently herbal in a way that feels unmistakably tied to the land around us. It is the kind of cocktail that works beautifully on a summer wedding day, in the courtyard as guests arrive, or as something bright and celebratory to mark the beginning of an evening.

At the heart of the drink is Thirsk Lodge Barns Gin, produced in collaboration with Cooper King, the award-winning sustainable distillery located between Thirsk and York. Their approach to distilling mirrors so many of our own values: a respect for craft, a commitment to doing things properly and a belief that quality and sustainability should go hand in hand.

To this, we add St-Germain elderflower liqueur, made from fresh elderflower blossoms. It brings soft floral notes, alongside hints of tropical fruit, peach, pear and citrus zest, giving the drink its elegant, summery lift.

The Yorkshire Wolds cloudy apple juice adds body, roundness and a natural sweetness. Sourced from just outside Malton, it brings an orchard-like depth to the cocktail - fresh, familiar and rooted in Yorkshire produce.

Then comes our little wedding hack: yuzu sherbet syrup from Bristol Syrup. It delivers the perfect balance of sweet and sour, allowing us to serve a premium cocktail quickly and consistently during busy events, without compromising on flavour. It is one of those small but clever details that makes all the difference behind the bar.

Finally, the drink is finished with fresh mint and thyme, picked directly from the cocktail garden at Thirsk Lodge Barns. The mint has become something of a success story in itself - the more we pick, the more it grows. Much like the cocktail, it has taken on a life of its own.

The result is a cocktail that feels fresh, balanced and beautifully drinkable. It is floral, sharp, sweet and herbal in all the right places, with each ingredient adding something thoughtful to the glass.

For us, The English Garden is more than a popular drink on the menu. It is a small expression of the bigger Newsham story: celebrating local produce, working with like-minded makers, growing what we can and creating things that feel generous, considered and full of flavour.

A little taste of the garden, poured over ice.