As the days are warmer and our summer dresses are on, what nicer way to celebrate summer than with some pretty little drinks. Homemade ice cubes instantly make a drink look like you put effort into it, even if it is just a glass of water. Right now, it is time to take advantage of the growing herbs on your balcony or the wonderful flowers in your garden. If you love to forage for wild flowers, lilacs are in season in Finland at the moment. This pale green drink  is an elegant cocktail for a summer soirée. The base is made from blended mint & lime juice topped with a little bit of gin and soda water. I rimmed the glass edges with salt and added rose petals to them for a delicate finish. I used a twig of thyme to garnish each cocktail.

Mint & Lime cocktail

• 3 limes (and zest)
• 1 bunch of mint
• 1/2 dl cold water

Shave the zest of the lime. Then cut the skin off with a knife. Place the limes and zest into a blender and add the water and mint leaves. Blend until smooth. Pour the concentration into a jar and refrigerate. Take a lovely crystal glass and rim the edges with some lime juice. Place the glass rim on a plate that has some salt and dried rose petals on it. The lime edges suck up some of the salt and rose petals.

To make the drink: Add some lime concentration into the bottom of the glass, a splash of gin and some soda water. Add ice cubes and garnish with a twig of lime. If this drink is not sweet enough for you, you can add a bit of honey or sugar when you are making the mint and lime concentration.

Homemade Ice cubes

To make use of lilac season and the growing herbs on our balcony, I decided to make petal and leaf ice cubes. I thoroughly washed the lilac flowers and mint, sage and thyme flowers. Then I placed them into an ice cube tray and added water on top. I love how the sage looks like when frozen and the lilacs are beautifully delicate. I love how these pretty ice cubes instantly elevate a summer drink, even if you are just drinking a glass of strawberry juice.