Botanical Mixology

In response to the growing interest in the mixology of herbs and mushrooms to craft healthy and delicious "mocktails", here is a great opportunity to learn the essentials with herbalist and mixologist, Ezza Valdez.

Through demonstration, tastings, and an engaged Q&A, you will learn to formulate botanical elixirs to help relax at home and celebrate special occasions with friends and family, without the need for alcohol. We will share experiences from our own Elixir Bar menu, and learn about herbs and spices that help reduce sugar and caloric intake.

Appropriate for beginners just starting out, and advanced practitioners seeking to freshen up their repertoire. All you need is a little ingenuity and creativity to create the perfect mocktail.

Whether you want to take the edge off the bar scene or simply join a growing trend, mocktails are here to stay!

The class will be planned to be a step-by-step presentation so that attendees can apply what is learned right away. To get started, let's learn about some of the mise en place (fancy talk for "your place" or ingredients).

→ fruit juices (cranberry juice, apple juice)

→ sweeteners (simple syrup, agave nectar)

→ bitters

→ non-alcoholic mixers (club soda, tonic water)

→ syrups/bases (angelica root syrup)

• The basic principles of preparation and how to avoid mistakes
• How to make simple drinks and analyze the ingredients
• Preparation of common mocktails and how to pair them with food
• How to infuse, carbonate, and blend drinks
• What equipment is needed for making drinks
• How to spice up your drink with some essential herbs, fruits, and oils while leaving alcohol behind.

Ezza Valdez, who leads content and educational programming for The Alchemist's Kitchen, is a trained herbalist and mixologist, with a creative passion for learning, and exploring new outlets for "DIY" projects.

Growing up in the Philippines, she rallied her friends to adventures in outdoor cooking (using milk cans as pots), paper doll theatrics, and making their own musical instruments for caroling. "You can make beautiful music with a wire and a ton of bottle caps".

She believes everything we do is a work in progress and acknowledges the knowledge shared by her teachers and mentors, notably Peeka Trenkle, David Winston, Amanda Crooke and Jenn Allen.

Host or Publisher The Alchemist's Kitchen