Refreshing Sips: Lemongrass Drinks to Elevate Your Spring Menu

Springtime in the UK has a habit of surprising you. One afternoon, it's warm enough to sit outside with a cold drink, the next, you're back in a jumper hunting for the biscuit tin. But whether the sun shows up or not, the food and drinks we serve over the long weekend can still feel fresh, bright, and properly seasonal.

This spring, lemongrass deserves a spot on your drinks menu. It's one of those ingredients that people associate with Thai food or Asian cooking, but it works beautifully in cold drinks, punches, and even hot infusions. It's citrusy without being sharp, fragrant without being floral, and it lifts almost anything you pair it with.

Why Lemongrass Works So Well in Drinks

Lemongrass has a clean, bright flavour that's hard to pin down exactly. It's somewhere between lemon, ginger, and fresh grass, but none quite captures it. That's part of what makes it so useful. It adds depth without heaviness, which is exactly what you want in a spring drink.

Fresh lemongrass stalks can be tricky to work with. They're fibrous, they take time to infuse, and getting the flavour out properly requires simmering or steeping for a good while. That's fine when you're making a big batch of something in advance. But for springtime family get-togethers, when you have a house full of people, you want something simpler.

A Smarter Way to Use Lemongrass

This is where Holy Lama Lemongrass Spice Drops® come in. Holy Lama has been cultivating and extracting lemongrass for over 30 years, sourcing directly from Kerala in southern India, one of the world's finest growing regions. Their lemongrass extract is described as their signature flavour, and it's easy to see why. It's intense, authentic, and captures the herb properly rather than producing something flat or artificial.

The Holy Lama Spice Drops® are high-strength extracts, so a little goes a long way. A drop or two is enough to flavour an entire drink. They're water soluble and fat soluble, mix easily into any liquid, and because they're designed to be added at the end of preparation, the flavour stays vivid and fresh rather than cooking off.

They're also vegan, gluten free, GMO free, alcohol free, nut free, and sugar free, which makes them straightforward for guests with dietary requirements, as they tick a lot of boxes without any fuss.

One underrated thing about Holy Lama Spice Drops® is how long they last. Stored correctly, the extract stays fresh for up to three years from the manufacturing date. That means a bottle you buy for this spring will still be good for Christmas, and the one after that. For a flavouring ingredient this useful, that's genuinely good value.

Holy Lama also won a Great Taste Award in 2015 with two gold stars, and their business is worth mentioning, too. Over 80% of their workforce in Kerala is women, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, and they work on long-term relationships with local farmers rather than chasing the cheapest supplier available. It's a brand built properly, from the ground up.

Ideas for Your Spring Themed Drinks Table

Lemongrass pairs well with a range of flavours that feel at home in spring. Here are a few directions to take it:

Sparkling Lemongrass Lemonade: Squeeze fresh lemons, sweeten lightly with a simple syrup, top with sparkling water, and add two drops of lemongrass extract. Add mint and ice. Works for all ages, looks impressive on a table.

Lemongrass and Cucumber Water: A big jug of chilled still water with sliced cucumber and two or three drops of lemongrass. Elegant, easy, and people drink it all afternoon without realising how much water they've had.

Lemongrass Iced Tea: Brew a light green tea, chill it, and finish with lemongrass drops and a slice of lime. A good non-alcoholic option for guests who want something a bit more interesting than squash.

Lemongrass Prosecco Punch: Add lemongrass drops to a jug with elderflower cordial, fresh lime juice, and chilled prosecco. A crowd-pleaser that takes about three minutes to make.

In every case, the method is the same: drops go in first, liquid goes on top.

Recipe to Try: Watermelon, Lemongrass & Ginger Juice

This one is ideal for Spring. It's vibrant, refreshing, and uses a combination of Holy Lama Spice Drops® that work together brilliantly, lemongrass for brightness, ginger for warmth, and a hint of black pepper that you don't see coming but somehow makes the whole thing sing.

Ingredients

• ½ a watermelon, peeled and cubed

• 2 tbsp lime juice

• Salt and sugar, to taste

• 2 drops Holy Lama Lemongrass Spice Drops®

• 2 drops Holy Lama Ginger Spice Drops®

• 2 drops Holy Lama Black Pepper Spice Drops®

• Ice cubes

Method

• Using a hand blender, crush and blend the watermelon until it becomes a smooth purée.

• Add the lime juice, salt and/or sugar to taste. Add the Holy Lama Spice Drops® and stir well.

• Drop in the ice and enjoy a refreshing watermelon cooler!
  

This drink is completely alcohol free, which makes it perfect for the spring time table where you've often got children, designated drivers and guests who simply prefer not to drink. Make a big jug and it'll be gone before the lamb comes out of the oven.

The Bottom Line

Lemongrass doesn't need to be a restaurant ingredient or a weekend project. With the right extract, it's something you can reach for on a Tuesday afternoon or a busy Sunday, and it'll deliver the same bright, clean flavour every time.

For those working at a larger scale, such as cafés, restaurants or catering teams, Holy Lama also offers bulk purchase options, making it easier to maintain consistency and quality across every serving while managing volume with ease.