Make Your Own: Botanical Bartending

Everywhere we turn we see herbal blends emerging in craft cocktails across major cities all over the world. These age-old remedies are putting a new spin on the craft cocktail market. 

So what are these fancy cocktails? More often than not, I see traditional herbal remedies and elixirs being used to enhance our cocktails and mocktails by mixologists, bartenders and baristas. The cocktail industry’s been using herbal infusions in spirits since the beginning of time. A classic example are bitters.  Angostura bitters are a well-known bitters blend used in cocktails to enhance flavor and guess what? They are going to help your digestive system as well. Created by Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, a surgeon general in Simon Bolivar’s army of Venezuela, this protected recipe is a delicious blend of herbs and spices that was originally created to soothe upset stomach for the soldiers. Siegert was onto something!

Adding herbal blends to your beverages, whether they are alcoholic or not, is a great way to incorporate your herbs into your practice. Currently, we are seeing all sorts of bitters, shrubs, infusions and decoctions, herbal syrups, honeys, CBD infusions and oxymels making an appearance in cocktails everywhere. I do believe that food is medicine, and as a culture, we are learning how to bring them into our day-to-day regimens.  To learn all about Botanical Bartending, you can read the full article here in Plant Healers Quarterly Ebook , or sign up for my product making series to learn a hands on approach to botanical bartending.

Watch me live on KGW8 with Cassidy Quinn, for a live clip from The Herb Shoppe for this month’s product making tip!

See recipe below for Root Beer Rum, and a bonus recipe for a Dark and Stormy with a Root Beer Twist.

Make Your Own: Root Beer Rum

Ingredients and equipment needed:

• 4oz THS Root Beer Blend
• 750ml Christian Brothers Spiced Rum
• 1-2 Tablespoons Vanilla or Local Honey (optional)
• ½ gallon jar
• Cheesecloth
• Strainer

Instructions: In this method of infusing herbs into alcohol, we are not adding heat. With heat, the alcohol would burn off and we want the alcohol to stay potent. 

Step 1: Take The Herb Shoppe Root Beer Blend and place in ½ gallon glass jar.

Step 2: Add Spiced Rum over top of the Root Beer Blend. 

Step 3: Let sit for 1 week to 30 days in a cool, dark location. Shake daily.

Step 4: Strain out the Root Beer blend until all plant material is removed.

Step 5: Add vanilla or honey to taste. 

Step 6: Add to your favorite cocktail blend or sip on by itself.

Dark & Stormy Root Beer Recipe

• 2oz Root Beer Infused Rum
• 5oz Ginger Beer
• Lime to taste

Instructions: Pour Spiced Rum and Ginger Beer together, then add fresh or muddled lime. Stir or shake over ice, then pour into your favorite glassware for a real treat. 

We take great pleasure in creating products and recipes for you. However, if you are interested in going more in depth to make all your own herbal products, get signed up for the THS Make Your Own: Herbal Product Series, Beginning in Feb 2020. In this 4 month, hands-on program, we will dive into making an assortment of products for your hair, skin, body, home and making food as medicine. Space is limited. Secure your spot today!

To set up an herbal consultation with me email: info@theherbshoppepharmacy.com