Herbal Adult Beverages with Karen England

Karen England is on the board of the International Herb Association and a frequent contributor to the IHA’s Herb of the Year™ books specializing in herbal cocktails and mocktails, companion nibbles and the art of the garnish. The Herb of the Year™ (HOY) for 2024 is yarrow, the first San Diego native herb honoree in the program’s 29 years, and Karen has out done herself this year by developing a yarrow bitters that she uses to make a delicious yarrow smoked old fashioned cocktail. In 2021, Parsley was HOY and Karen’s Parsley Martini recipe (along with her herbed olives that go with the martini) is a nationwide favorite (well, Kentucky at least loves Karen’s Parsley martini…). According to someone, Karen makes the best Lavender Lemonade, so good that it is not a cocktail booby prize for those that don’t drink alcohol.

THIS EVENT IS LIMITED TO 15 PARTICIPANTS.

Suggested donation of $17 paid at the event directly to Karen England.

Due to the limited number of attendees, if you sign up you are responsible to contact Karen and pay her the fee as she will be buying supplies for us. She accepts, Cash, Credit Cards or checks.

Karen England Bio:

From the age of twelve, Karen England grew up working for her cousin’s nursery Sunshine Gardens in Encinitas and she worked there for fifty years until 2021 when the nursery closed. As a kid Karen wasn’t interested in plants, all she wanted to do was read Nancy Drew books but her grandmother, also the Sunshine Gardens bookkeeper, made her cousin officially hire her so that he could not pay Karen under the (potting) table.

It wasn’t until Karen got married at the age of thirty, and she and her hubby moved into a house with yard, that she got the gardening bug as she discovered herbs and learned to cook. No one at Sunshine Gardens was interested in herbs or could answer Karen’s questions so she bought a book recommended by the nursery’s herb vendor and she has never looked back. She taught herself to make herbal soaps and for many years had a handmade soap business.

When she closed that business in 2014, she was left with a “soap shop” on her Vista property (really a glorified garden shed) with the herbs she used in the soaps growing all around. It occurred to her that the herbs she used in her soaps she also used in her cocktails and the “soap shop” became her infamous Pub! Must be seen to be believed.

Edgehill Herb Farm Merchandise: https://edgehill.merchwebstore.com

Karen’s Store: edgehillherbfarm.blog/karen-englands-shop/

Host or Publisher APLD San Diego District