Don’t throw that banana peel! What looks like waste can actually be flavorful cocktail potential in disguise.
Okay, we know better than most that nothing hits quite like a fresh, fruity cocktail on a hot summer day. But this summer, why not make some cocktails that reward both your tastebuds and the planet?
At Thatcher’s Organic we offer a summer friendly lineup of small-batch vodka and liqueurs crafted with certified organic ingredients and sustainable practices, so you can feel as good as your drink tastes. We’re always looking for ways to ditch the overly processed mixers and reach for ingredients that are fresh, local, and eco-conscious. Turning kitchen scraps into cocktail magic is a perfect way to reduce waste while adding unique flavor.
Here are five refreshing cocktails that use leftovers commonly found in your kitchen and that are as sustainable as they are sippable.
Leftover Banana Peel Mango Daquiri
Normally we’d compost our banana peels, but this is a tasty and sustainable cocktail option
4 banana peels
6 tbsp sugar
2 ripe mangos, chopped
4 oz Thatcher’s Organic Mango Liqueur
10 oz coconut rum
4 bananas, cut into slices
6 oz lime juice
Sliced mango, garnish
Combine banana peels and sugar and in a sealed plastic bag and allow to sit in fridge for two idays. Strain the banana liquid and place it back in the fridge. In a blender add rum, banana syrup, mango, banana, and lime juice and blend until smooth. Place the mango, banana, lime juice, banana syrup, and rum in a blender, and process until smooth. Add 2 cups of ice and blend again until smooth and thick. Serve ice cold in glasses. Garnish with mango slices.
Backyard Basil Cooler
A crisp herbaceous cocktail uses homegrown herbs.
2 oz Thatcher’s Organic Cucumber Liqueur
1 oz Thatcher’s Organic Small Batch Vodka
1 oz lemon juice
3 basil leaves
3 oz soda water
Basil sprig, garnish
Muddle basil leaves in a shaker with lemon juice. Add cucumber liqueur and vodka with ice and shake. Strain into a glass filled with ice, top with I water, and garnish with a fresh basil sprig.
Cold Brewed Intentions
A smooth, coffee-forward cocktail using vodka and a syrup made from used coffee grounds. It’s like an espresso martini’s cool, sustainable cousin.
4 oz used coffee grounds
8 oz water
3 oz sugar
2 oz Thatcher’s Organic Small Batch Vodka
.25 oz vanilla extract
dash of chocolate bitters
Orange peel, garnish
Simmer coffee grounds, water, and sugar for 10 minutes or down until there is about 4 oz of liquid left. Let it cool, then strain. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Shake all coffee syrup that you made, vodka, vanilla extract, and chocolate bitters in a shaker with ice and strain into a coupe or rocks glass. Garnish with an expressed orange peel.
Overripe Peach Smash
A juicy, rustic cocktail using soft or bruised peaches you wouldn’t serve on a fruit tray.
1 ripe or overripe peach, peeled and roughly chopped
2 oz Thatcher’s Organic Peach Liqueur
1 oz lemon juice
.5 oz honey
3 fresh mint leaves
Sparkling water, to top
Peach slice or mint sprig, garnish
In a shaker, muddle the peach with lemon juice and mint leaves until fully broken down. Add the peach liqueur and honey syrup. Fill with ice and shake hard. Double strain into a tall glass over ice, top with sparkling water, and garnish.
Herb Stem Gimlet 
Making dinner and chopping up some herbs? Don’t toss those herb stems—infuse their flavor into a garden-fresh cocktail.
Herb Stem Vodka Infusion:
Handful of leftover stems (basil, cilantro, mint, parsley)
8 oz Thatcher’s Organic Small Batch Vodka
Cocktail:
2 oz herb-stem-infused Thatcher’s Organic Vodka
.75 oz lime juice
.5 oz simple syrup
Herb leaf or cucumber peel, garnish
Infuse vodka with stems for 1–2 days in the fridge, then strain into a bottle. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a leaf or a cucumber ribbon.
With Thatcher’s Organic liqueurs and a little creativity, even scraps can become showstoppers in your summer cocktail lineup. Find Thatcher’s Organic Artisan Spirits at a store near you. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or join our mailing list to stay up to date with the latest from Thatcher’s.
