If you are looking for a refreshing drink to lighten your mood and liberate your spirits, look no further than our botanical beverages. We use organic ingredients and botanicals to create innovative flavors with subtle sweetness and a kaleidoscope of color. We handcraft our drinks with whole plants, superfruits, and adaptogens.
That may sound like a lot of flowery language, but it’s true. So, what are botanicals, and what are they doing in that drink you’re sipping?
What Are Botanicals?
Botanicals are herbs, spices, and other ingredients that are infused into a drink during the distillation process. They give your favorite beverage its distinctive flavor profile (something like Watermelon Basil hard kombucha, perhaps?). At their core, botanicals are simply a substance derived from plants.
When most people think of botanicals, gin comes to mind, and rightly so. Gin has been making use of botanicals since its inception. Infuse juniper berries and a few other botanicals into a neutral spirit, add water, and re-distill. Voilà, you have gin.
Gin is most responsible for consumers’ understanding of botanicals, but other types of alcohol are catching on to the trend of using natural flavors and plant extracts over sugary substances for maximum taste potential.
And it makes sense. Botanicals tap into the wellness trends that have gained so much steam in the past decade. Millennials prefer healthier options of food and drink, and that includes natural, organic ingredients—even in your booze.
There are many types of botanicals to choose from. Here are a few of our favorite uses of botanicals.
Clementine Hibiscus
Fresh from our “Fruit & Flora” Botanicals collection, this mix is a harmonious interplay of bold fruits and delicate florals. While lemon might be the most popular citrus botanical used in distilling, we love this mix that’s the perfect combo of juicy and crisp.
Pineapple Chili
Speaking of delicious blends of sweet and spicy, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention our Pineapple Chili Hard Kombucha. The tang of ripe pineapple meets a kick of chili pepper in this hard beverage, made to brighten your day with a single sip.
Passionfruit Elderflower
Elderflowers are small white flowers that grow on elderberry bushes, found throughout the U.K, northern Europe, and parts of North America. They bloom from late May to early June.
The bioflavonoids abundant in elderflowers have made them popular in traditional medicine for their antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Flavor-wise, elderflowers have a delicate taste that’s lighter than rose or lavender. If you’ve had other floral drinks and weren’t impressed by the idea of drinking a spring garden, elderflower might win you back.
We blended elderflower with passionfruit to create our Passionfruit Elderflower Hard Seltzer. It’s an elegant and exotic mix with herbal undertones. The slightly tart passionfruit and nuanced elderflower make this cocktail-inspired fermentation a fan favorite.
Grapefruit Thyme
Thyme after thyme, we keep coming back to this herb. Pronounced “time,” it is used in a number of cuisines across the world as seasoning either by itself or as part of a blend.
The flavor profile of thyme is a pronounced, concentrated herbal flavor with sharp grass, wood, and floral notes. In appearance, it resembles lavender and rosemary.
For our Grapefruit Thyme Hard Kombucha, we added grapefruit to the mix because you just can’t beat citrus. Grapefruit is light and tart, and when mixed with a hint of aromatic thyme, we’ve made a juicy and food-friendly infusion that’s delightfully fizzy and undeniably satisfying.
Watermelon Basil
We’ve probably all had basil at one point or another. Many people even have a small plant of their own in the house to collect the fresh leaves from. Basil belongs to the mint family and is an essential ingredient in Italian cooking. You most commonly see it used in fresh pesto or to top off a dish at an Italian restaurant.
The leaves are large, smooth, and easy to grow, which is why even those without a green thumb need not fear killing their basil plant. Sweet basil has a fresh aroma and a peppery, minty taste. More savory varieties have a citrusy kick.
For our Watermelon Basil Hard Kombucha, we combined basil with the mouth-watering, juicy taste of watermelon for a sweet and slightly tart finish. We added a dash of sea salt to bring it all together, creating a culinary combo straight from the garden that brings together two of summer’s most delicious flavors.
Guava Jalapeño
One of our more daring concoctions, these botanicals blend together in a surprising way. Guava is a tropical fruit native to Mexico, South and Central America, and the Caribbean. It is typically yellow or light green and has deep red or vibrant pink skin.
There are many different types of guava, but generally, the flavor is sweet and unique, almost a cross between strawberry and pear.
As far as jalapenos go, we’ve all set our mouths on fire with them once or twice. A very hot chili pepper also used in Mexican-style cooking, when correctly matched with the right ingredients to offset the zing, this pepper is a perfect addition to a meal.
We paired these two unique tastes in our Guava Jalapeño Hard Seltzer to make a drink that is bright, earthy, and a little fruity. Refreshing pink guava fused with the heat of freshly chopped jalapeños makes for a taste made to be relished.
Flying Embers
All our drinks are brewed with organic ingredients for a lighter, brighter buzz. Grab a can and see for yourself.
Sources:
The Complete and Slightly Insane History of Gin in England | Vine Pair
Millennials: The 'wellness generation' | SiouxFalls.Business
What Is Elderflower? How To Replicate The Flavor Of The Royal Wedding Cake | Huffpost