As autumn is now officially here, my mind has turned to the supportive power of elder berries. Elderberry syrup is obviously a tried and true ally for immune system support*, but elder berries also make an excellent base for cocktails and mocktails. My Elder Bellini recipe is one such fall cocktail that provides both remarkable flavor and immune system support*. I must admit that it isn’t exactly an “herbal cocktail” per se—because it is made with herb-infused spirits, it is ostensibly an extract that is added to juice to impart a slight herbal flavor in a full-bodied cocktail. The beauty of this method is that you can make the infusion ahead of time, so you have your elderberry-infused base on hand whenever you get the urge for a remarkably beautiful, delicious cocktail.
My adventure with herb-infused spirits was inspired by a visit to our local Plank Town Brewing Company, where they make an amazing hibiscus-infused martini. The color imparted by the hibiscus, not to mention the flavor, blew me away, and I thought I must try this. When I infuse vodka with elderberries, I get a stunningly purple vodka that is rich in flavor. Combining this beautiful infusion with peach juice creates a dual-colored beverage that goes down refreshingly smooth!
Makes about 16 drinks
Ingredients
Directions
Pro Tip
Makes 6-8 drinks
Ingredients
Directions
Makes 1 drink
Ingredients
Directions
Pro Tip: Using a spoon to catch the initial splash helps to maintain the two-tone color.
You may also enjoy:
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only
Topics: Recipes, Herbalism, Tea & Herbal Drinks
Shawn is Mountain Rose Herbs' owner and CEO. He first became involved with Mountain Rose Herbs as a passionate young idealist with a fervent desire to change the world. He was a notorious rabble-rouser, always petitioning for mandatory labeling on genetically modified food crops, encouraging people to support a strong conservation ethic, fighting for the protection of endangered or threatened species, and the protection and enhancement of our riparian areas. When Mountain Rose Herbs came into his life, Shawn saw it as an opportunity to change the way business is conducted on this planet. To this day, the revolutionary business principles that Shawn initiated have been used as a successful model by countless other organizations. Since becoming a co-owner of the company in 2001, he has continued to initiate bold and daring changes, most notably the eradication of all conventionally grown products from our product line, introducing the first line of fair trade certified medicinal herbs in the United States, implementing the design and deployment of our web presence, launching our zero waste program and our charitable giving program, and more. In his spare time, Shawn can be found deep within Oregon’s wilderness system, or lost in the pages of any book about ecology and the environment. He currently retains one of the nation’s largest collections of rare and antiquarian books that deal exclusively with nature writing and outdoor literature. With Thoreau, Abbey, and Muir being his favorites, of course! "All of our environmental issues can be connected to the embarrassing way that business abuses this planet. My objective is to stop this destructive pattern by offering an alternative modality and sharing that modality with others so we can all lead the change necessary to heal the planet"
As autumn is now officially here, my mind has turned to the supportive power of elder berries. Elderberry syrup is obviously a tried and true ally for immune system support*, but elder berries also make an excellent base for cocktails and mocktails. My Elder Bellini recipe is one such fall cocktail that provides both remarkable flavor and immune system support*. I must admit that it isn’t exactly an “herbal cocktail” per se—because it is made with herb-infused spirits, it is ostensibly an extract that is added to juice to impart a slight herbal flavor in a full-bodied cocktail. The beauty of this method is that you can make the infusion ahead of time, so you have your elderberry-infused base on hand whenever you get the urge for a remarkably beautiful, delicious cocktail.
My adventure with herb-infused spirits was inspired by a visit to our local Plank Town Brewing Company, where they make an amazing hibiscus-infused martini. The color imparted by the hibiscus, not to mention the flavor, blew me away, and I thought I must try this. When I infuse vodka with elderberries, I get a stunningly purple vodka that is rich in flavor. Combining this beautiful infusion with peach juice creates a dual-colored beverage that goes down refreshingly smooth!
Makes about 16 drinks
Ingredients
Directions
Pro Tip
Makes 6-8 drinks
Ingredients
Directions
Makes 1 drink
Ingredients
Directions
Pro Tip: Using a spoon to catch the initial splash helps to maintain the two-tone color.
You may also enjoy:
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only
Topics: Recipes, Herbalism, Tea & Herbal Drinks
Shawn is Mountain Rose Herbs' owner and CEO. He first became involved with Mountain Rose Herbs as a passionate young idealist with a fervent desire to change the world. He was a notorious rabble-rouser, always petitioning for mandatory labeling on genetically modified food crops, encouraging people to support a strong conservation ethic, fighting for the protection of endangered or threatened species, and the protection and enhancement of our riparian areas. When Mountain Rose Herbs came into his life, Shawn saw it as an opportunity to change the way business is conducted on this planet. To this day, the revolutionary business principles that Shawn initiated have been used as a successful model by countless other organizations. Since becoming a co-owner of the company in 2001, he has continued to initiate bold and daring changes, most notably the eradication of all conventionally grown products from our product line, introducing the first line of fair trade certified medicinal herbs in the United States, implementing the design and deployment of our web presence, launching our zero waste program and our charitable giving program, and more. In his spare time, Shawn can be found deep within Oregon’s wilderness system, or lost in the pages of any book about ecology and the environment. He currently retains one of the nation’s largest collections of rare and antiquarian books that deal exclusively with nature writing and outdoor literature. With Thoreau, Abbey, and Muir being his favorites, of course! "All of our environmental issues can be connected to the embarrassing way that business abuses this planet. My objective is to stop this destructive pattern by offering an alternative modality and sharing that modality with others so we can all lead the change necessary to heal the planet"
