There is a moment in the middle of spring when the kitchen garden suddenly explodes with green. The peas hang heavy and sweet in their pods, the mint plant has taken over the pot on the terrace, and the warmth of the sun gives just enough energy to want to make something a little unusual for Friday evening. That is exactly when you should reach for the shaker.
Fresh peas in a cocktail might sound strange – but taste them raw one more time. They are sweet, green and juicy, with an almost creamy texture when mashed. Combined with a simple mint syrup that takes under ten minutes to make, you get a base that lifts, refreshes and surprises. Let's get started.
Homemade Mint Syrup – The Base Recipe
Before we dive into the cocktails, we need the syrup. It is the backbone of all three drinks, and fortunately it is so simple it is almost embarrassing.
Ingredients
- 1 dl water
- 1 dl sugar
- 1 large handful of fresh mint (approx. 20–25 leaves)
Method
- Heat water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the mint. Let it steep for 15–20 minutes.
- Strain out the leaves and cool the syrup in the refrigerator.
- Keeps for one week in a jar with a tight lid.
The result is a light green, fragrant syrup with a clean, cool mint aroma – not sickly sweet like chewing gum, but fresh and herbal-tea-like. Make it the day before if you like, so you are ready when the guests arrive.
Drink 1: Green and Light
The first drink is the most elegant of the three – almost like a meadow of flowers in a glass. It is built on gin, which is the natural choice when working with green, botanical flavours.
Atlungstad Flora Norvegica Gin is a Norwegian gin distilled in Hedmarken, with a bouquet of Norwegian herbs and flowers that pairs surprisingly well with the sweetness of the peas. Its floral, light character – with hints of elderflower, juniper and wild herbs – gives the peas room to shine without overpowering them. A beautiful starting point.
Ingredients
- 4 cl Atlungstad Flora Norvegica Gin
- 8–10 fresh peas
- 2 cl mint syrup
- 2 cl lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 egg white (optional, for a silky texture)
- Tonic water to top
Method
- Muddle the peas thoroughly in the shaker until you have a rough purée.
- Add gin, mint syrup, lime juice and the egg white if using.
- Dry shake (without ice) for 10 seconds to emulsify.
- Add ice and shake again vigorously for 15 seconds.
- Double-strain into a chilled champagne glass or highball glass.
- Top carefully with tonic water.
- Garnish with a mint leaf and a few whole peas.
Tasting notes: Silky, light and fresh. The peas provide a sweet, almost creamy foundation, while the gin's botanicals and the mint lift the whole thing to something almost airy. The drink that makes guests ask: "What is actually in this?"
Drink 2: Pea and Vodka Smash
If gin is not your thing, or you want something a little more neutral and accessible for guests, vodka is the way to go. Amundsen Arctic Vodka Extra is a clean and mild Norwegian vodka – distilled and filtered to deliver an extra clean profile – that lets the ingredients speak for themselves. Exactly what we need here.
This drink is more rustic and direct than the first. It tastes of summer in Scandinavia, if summer in Scandinavia had a cocktail bar.
Ingredients
- 5 cl Amundsen Arctic Vodka Extra
- 10–12 fresh peas
- 2 cl mint syrup
- 3–4 slices of cucumber
- 1.5 cl lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Sparkling water to top
Method
- Muddle the peas and cucumber directly in the shaker.
- Add vodka, mint syrup and lemon juice.
- Shake vigorously with ice for 12–15 seconds.
- Double-strain over crushed ice in a tumbler glass.
- Top with sparkling water.
- Garnish with a slice of cucumber and a few whole peas.
Tasting notes: Fresh as a breath of cold morning air. The cool wateriness of the cucumber meets the sweetness of the peas, and the mint syrup provides a long, calm aftertaste. Light, refreshing and effortlessly elegant – the drink that suits everyone.
Drink 3: Spicy Green Mule
The third drink is for those who like a little kick in the glass. We take the classic mule structure – spirits, ginger beer, lime – and twist it green with pea purée and mint. The result is surprisingly harmonious: the heat from the ginger, the sweetness from the peas and the fresh mint syrup form a three-way drama in the glass that holds all the way to the last sip.
Feel free to use Amundsen Arctic Vodka Extra here as well – its clean profile means the ginger beer and peas get to dominate, without the vodka competing for attention.
Ingredients
- 4 cl vodka
- 10 fresh peas
- 2 cl mint syrup
- 1.5 cl lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 10–12 cl ginger beer to top
- 2–3 drops of tabasco (optional, for extra sting)
Method
- Muddle the peas in the bottom of a copper mug or highball glass.
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Pour over the vodka, mint syrup and lime juice.
- Stir gently but firmly 10–12 times.
- Top with cold ginger beer.
- Add a few drops of tabasco if you want it spicy.
- Garnish with a lime slice, a mint sprig and a few whole peas.
Tasting notes: Tingly, green and warm at the same time. The intense bubbles of the ginger beer cut through the pea purée like a small ray of light, and the mint ensures a slow, cool aftertaste. This is the drink you make again and again throughout the summer.
Tips from the Bar
Double-straining is not optional. Pea purée in a cocktail glass is not appetising. Always use a fine strainer in addition to the hawthorn strainer, and give it a little time – do not rush the process.
Fresh peas beat frozen. Fresh peas straight from the pod deliver a sweetness and a lively, grassy aroma that frozen simply cannot match. If it is in season – and it is right now – use fresh. Always.
Mint syrup timing. Make the syrup the same day or the day before. After two to three days the mint starts to turn a little more bitter and loses its bright, fresh top note. A little bitterness can be nice in some contexts, but here we want the clean, happy version.
On the colour. None of these drinks are bright green – they are more muted, pastel green to yellow-green in the glass. That is natural and attractive. If you want a stronger colour you can add a teaspoon of spinach to the shaker; it affects the flavour minimally, but gives a more dramatic visual effect.
These cocktails are perfect for a long weekend evening on the terrace, with a tray full of snacks and people you like. They are light enough to have two of, exciting enough that everyone will ask what is in them – and simple enough that you will actually make them again next weekend too.
Have a great weekend. Cheers to green glasses and warm evenings! 🌿
