There’s nothing quite like using fresh herbs from your garden to make a dinner dish come alive. But did you know they can also take your cocktails to the next level?

“A sprig of fresh rosemary or a handful of mint can give a drink a fresh floral nose that will entice the drinker to take a sip and add to the overall taste and aesthetic experience of the cocktail,” notes the website Veranda.

Herbs, adds Veranda, are easy to grow, and some return yearly, such as mint and sage. Herbs will also thrive in pots on the patio.

Here a few plants Veranda recommends specifically for cocktails:

Mint: Mint comes in different flavors, like spearmint, pineapple, orange and chocolate. It’s perfect for tropical, “citrusy rum” cocktails, like mojitos, and also works well with bourbon in a mint julep or bourbon smash.

Rosemary: “Make a rosemary simple syrup to give an herbal kick to one-note drinks such as a vodka gimlet or Tom Collins,” suggests Veranda.

Lemon Verbena: With its citrusy taste, lemon verbena works well with vodka or gin.

Basil: Also great with vodka and gin, basil “can provide complex herbal notes to balance out super-sweet tropical drinks,” offers Veranda.

Sage: This perennial, which can survive the cold, not only works well with bourbon and gin but also produces flowers that attract hummingbirds and other pollinators.

Lavender: Use its flower buds to make a simple syrup, then “drizzle into martinis or in lemonade…and use the flowers and leaves as garnishes,” suggests Veranda.