Herbal Beverage Recipes

Speak not, whisper not,
Here bloweth thyme and bergamot
Softly on thee every hour
Secret herbs their spices shower."
--Walter de la Mare

Herbal Beverages

STEVIA CONVERSION CHART
1 Cup sugar equals approximately 1 teaspoon of stevia
1 Tablespoon sugar equals approximately 1/4 teaspoon stevia
1 Teaspoon sugar equals a pinch or 1/16 teaspoon stevia.

A PERFECT CUP OF HERBAL TEA
Pick 2 T. fresh herbs or 1 to 2 tsp. of dried herbs per cup of tea. Bruise herbs with a wooden spoon and pour boiling water over the bruised herbs in the teapot. Cover and let steep for about 15-20 min. Combine any of the following to make your own special herb brew:
Yarrow, Hyssop, Lemon Verbena, Calendula, German Chamomile, Clove Pinks, Licorice, Horehound, Lemon Balm, Mints, Beebalm, Catnip, Basil, Mountain Mint, Pineapple Sage, Betony, Stevia, Thymes and Lavender.

THE BEE'S KNEES
Here's an easy cocktail that is sure to be the buzz of your next dinner party. The Bee's Knees gets its sweetness from a quick-to-prepare honey syrup. And we've given this classic drink a floral, Provençal twist by adding lavender. The result is unexpected and delicious: a perfect balance of sharp, fragrant, sweet, and strong.

1/4 cup hot water
1 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms
1/4 cup honey
6 tablespoons vodka or gin
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix hot water and dried lavender blossoms in bowl. Let steep 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/4 cup honey. Strain into another bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the honey syrup, vodka or gin, and lemon juice; strain into cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into 2 chilled Martini glasses.
Serves 2.
Bon Appétit
March 2005

ENGLISH ROSE TEA
    1/2 cup dried red rose petals
    2 tablespoons dried lemon balm
    1 tablespoon dried rosemary
Mix well. Use 1 teaspoon for each cup.

Rosemary Lemonade
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate
Add 2 sprigs rosemary, sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Set aside to cool, remove rosemary. In a pitcher, mix lemonade concentrate with 3 cans of water. Add the cooled rosemary, sugar mixture. Serve over ice, garnished with the remaining rosemary.

Fennel Milk
1 T. Honey
1 t. fennel seed
1 quart milk
Blend warm milk with honey and crushed fennel seed. Strain. Serve hot or cold

HERBAL ICE TEA
Simply boil water and pour into a crack-proof pitcher. Add a handful or so of the tea blend and allow to steep in the refrigerator for about two hours (longer if desired). Strain off the tea material and pour into another pitcher. Sweeten with honey and add lemon slices if you like. Serve over a tall glass of ice with a sprig of mint for the garnish. Cool, refreshing and healthy!

Rosemary Fizz
2 T. Rosemary crushed
3 T sugar ½ cup water
8 oz can apricot nectar
1 qt ginger ale
½ c lime juice
Simmer sugar, water and rosemary leaves with a pinch of salt for 2 minutes. Cool and strain in a tall chilled pitcher mix apricot nectar with ginger ale and lime juice. Fill 8 glasses with ice and pour in the juices. Garnish with twists of lime. rind.

ORANGE or EAU-de-COLOGNE MINT TEA
2 cups dried orange mint leaves
8 teaspoons china tea
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup dried calendula petals
1 tablespoon dried orange rind
1 tablespoon dried lemon rind
This mixture can be stored in airtight containers for some time.

POTPOURRI TEA
1 cup good black tea
1/2 cup dried rose petals
2 tablespoons dried jasmine flowers
1 tablespoon dried orange peel, freshly grated
1 tablespoon cassia bark, crumbled
3 sticks cinnamon bark, crumbled
4 whole star anise
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon whole cloves, freshly pounded
Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl with your hands. Store in airtight tins. Use one heaped tablespoon per pot.

LAVENDER MINT TEA PUNCH
6 teaspoons dried mint
6 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon dried lavender blossoms
1 liter ginger ale
1 cup purple grape juice
ice cubes with fresh mint leaf frozen in each
Brew the mint in the water in a teapot for ten minutes. Add the lavender blossoms to the pot. Allow tea to cool. Strain the tea and add the ginger ale, grape juice and ice cubes. If serving in a punch bowl, float lavender buds and mint sprigs on top.

CHAI AT HOME ~ The real stuff
There is no end to the diversity of recipes for making your own chai. Brewing chai is fun and allows you to experiment until you get it 'just right' for your personal taste. Chai is basically black tea brewed with selected spices and milk. The aroma of spices shouldn't be overpowering; it should be almost like an incense experience." Make and use your spice mix by weight. For best results, use whole or broken spices, not ground! To make 3 ½ ounces, start with about an ounce of shelled green cardamon and a half ounce of cinnamon bark. Then be sure you use some clove and ginger HOT, and make up the weight from your favorites from this list: Allspice, cracked, Whole Black pepper HOT, Cloves, Coriander seed, Mace, Nutmeg, Star anise, Fennel, Bay leaf or Vanilla bean. Some folks stew/boil the tea with the spices. Others stew the spices with the sugar, then add and brew the tea, then add the milk. I like this slightly thickened texture. A third group stews the spices, then adds and brews the tea, then stir in the sugar and the milk. It's your choice.

CHAI TEA BASE (to prepare six servings).
4 T. whole spices.
½ cup dark brown sugar or honey
4 cups water
Remove from heat. Stir in: 2 T black tea or 3 T rooiboos
Bring to boil, simmer 15 minutes, strain. You can refrigerate this base up to a week. To serve, heat the base, add 1/4 to ½ to an equal amount of heated milk, (you may preheat milk 5 minutes in microwave - it foams). Stir well, serve with a sprinkle of cardamom.

CHAI TEA for 20-24 servings
3 ½ ounces mixed whole chai spices (about 1 cup)
1 ½ ounces black tea (about ½ cup)
3-4 quarts water
1 ½ cup brown sugar
Brew and strain using one of the three methods discussed above, stir in: 2 quarts whole milk, scalded.

ROSE PETAL TEA
2 cups freshly picked petals of dark red roses
1 litter water
honey
Place washed petals in a teapot. Pour in the boiling water, cover and leave the tea to brew for 10 minutes. Serve this tea hot or iced, with honey to enhance the delicate taste.

HERBAL ICED TEA
Simply boil water and pour into a crack-proof pitcher. Add a handful or so of the tea blend and allow to
steep in the refrigerator for about two hours. Strain off the tea material and pour into another pitcher.
Sweeten with honey and add lemon slices if you like. Serve over a tall glass of ice.

SPARKING ROSEMARY PUNCH
2 handfuls of rosemary sprigs
2 cups water
1 liter ginger ale,
chilled ½ gal orange pineapple juice
Combine rosemary and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cover and allow to cool. Strain out the rosemary. Combine with the orange pineapple juice and stir well. Refrigerate until ready to use. Then combine with the ginger ale.

HERBAL HONEY
Place a fresh washed leaf of your favorite herb in a small sterilized glass jar. Warm honey, and pour it over the herb leaf. Cap jar tightly, and allow about 24 hours for the flavor of the herb to permeate the honey. Serve as a sweetener for tea.

MINT JULEP
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon water
Crushed ice 6 Large fresh spearmint leaves
2 ounces Kentucky bourbon Fresh Mint Sprig
Put the sugar, water and mint leaves in the bottom of a glass. Mash with a spoon until the sugar is dissolved and the essence of mint is extracted. Fill the glass with ice. When frost forms on the outside, slowly pour in the bourbon, letting it trickle through the ice, then stir. Garnish with a sprig of mint. (very important, for the fragrance influences the palate).

STRAWBERRY LAVENDER LEMONADE
21/2 cups water
11/2 cups sugar
6 large strawberries, hulled
1/4 cup lavender leaves, chopped -OR- 1 Tablespoon dried lavender
flowers
21/2 cups distilled water
21/4 cups lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar, optional
Fresh lavender flowers for garnish
The original recipe calls for hibiscus flowers and suggested
strawberries as a substitute. Note: It may not be necessary to use distilled water in most locations.
In medium saucepan, combine 2+1/2 cups water, sugar and hibiscus flowers (or hulled strawberries). Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat. Simmer 5 minutes to extract pink to extract pink from flowers. Remove from heat. Stir in lavender leaves. Cover and cool. Strain cooled herb liquid into large pitcher or jar (if using
strawberries, gently press juice from berries). Add remaining 2+1/2 cups water
and lemon juice. Stir well. Add 1/2 cup more sugar, if desired. Just
before serving, add ice cubes. Pour into chilled glasses. Garnish with lavender flowers.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

GINGER COOLER
Based on a Shaker recipe, this ginger
cooler is made to quench thirsts while
working in the hay fields.
1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup honey 2 cups water
1/2 cup coarsely grated fresh ginger (no need to peel)
14 inch sprig fresh rosemary
2 cups fresh lemon balm sprigs
1 cup fresh spearmint sprigs
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1 quart sparkling mineral water or club soda, chilled
Garnish: lemon balm or mint sprigs
Bring the sugar, honey, 2 cups water, the
ginger, and rosemary to a boil in a 2
quart saucepan.
Add the lemon balm and mint sprigs, cover
and remove from the heat.
Let the mixture steep for 30 minutes.
Strain the syrup into a pitcher and stir
in the lemon juice and orange juice concentrate.
Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Right before serving, stir in the sparkling
water or club soda.
Garnish each glass with a sprig of lemon balm
or mint. Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

This recipe is taken from the book "The HerbFarm Cookbook" by Jerry Traunfeld.

ANGELICA LIQUEUR (or other herbal liqueur)
Ingredients:
1 tsp. dried marjoram
2 green cardamoms
1/16 tsp. ground allspice
1/16 tsp. ground star anise
1/16 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/16 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 apricot kernel
2 fl oz (0.6 dl) vodka

-------------------
1/2 cup (1.2 dl) sugar syrup (see below)
1 cup (2.4 dl) vodka
-------------------
2 TBS fresh or dried angelica root
2 fl oz (0.6 dl) vodka
In a mortar grind the cardamom seeds and half
an apricot seed.
Mix with other spices (except angelica root)
and place in a tight glass jar or bottle and
add 2 fl oz (0.6 dl) vodka.
After one week filter through a coffee filter.
Combine with sugar syrup and 1 cup (2.4 dl) vodka.
In a separate small glass jar combine the
angelica root with 2 fl oz (0.6 dl) vodka.
After two weeks filter through a coffee filter.
Add small portions of the angelica root extract
to the liqueur until you get a suitable flavor.
Check the flavor after 2 months.
If necessary add some more sugar syrup,
vodka, or angelica extract.
Other herbal liqueurs can be made by exchanging
angelica root with another herb.

LAVENDER LEMONADE
1 pint water
1 oz lavender flowers (wt.)
8 oz sugar (wt.)
Juice of 4 lemons. Pour boiling water over the lavender flowers and allow to infuse for 20 minutes. Then add sugar and lemon juice, and chill. Store in the fridge. To make, mix about 1 part of the syrup to 4 parts water, serve on ice.
In a saucepan combine 1 lb. (450 g) sugar, 1 cup
(2.4 dl) water and 1/4 tsp. citric acid.
Heat the mixture and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Allow to simmer on reduced heat for 15 minutes.

LEMON VERBENA LIQUEUR
Place 1 ounce dried lemon verbena and 4 cups vodka in a sterile glass jar. Let it sit, covered, for two weeks, shaking every day. After two weeks, add 2 cups of sugar and one more ounce of lemon verbena leaves. Shake to dissolve. Let that sit for another two weeks. Strain out the leaves, bottle the gloriously fragrant, delicious liqueur. Add it to deserts or as an after dinner drink.

MOCK CHAMPAGNE
1 gallon water
1 ½ pounds sugar
1 juicy lemon
4 large elder-flower heads
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Warm a little of the water, then stir in the sugar until it has dissolved. Leave to cool. Squeeze the juice from the lemon, then cut the peel into four pieces, discarding the pith. Put the flowers into a large non-metallic container, add the lemon juice and pieces of lemon peel, the sweetened water, remaining water, and the vinegar. Strain off the liquid and pour into clean screw-top bottles. Leave for 6 days, by which time it should he effervescent. If it is not, leave for up to another 4 days. The Complete Book of Herbs by Emma Callery.

MAY WINE PUNCH
Ingredients needed:
15 sweet woodruff sprigs
1 1/2 quarts of Rhine or Moselle wine
1 pint strawberries
1 pint raspberries
1/2 cup super fine sugar
1 quart soda water
Edible flowers (violets or pansies)
Place woodruff sprigs on a non-greased cookie sheet in a 200-degree preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove the sprigs from the oven and place in a pitcher that has a lid. Add the wine to the sprigs, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Wash the strawberries and raspberries, remove all stems, and cut strawberries in half. Place the berries in a bowl, sprinkle with the sugar, cover and refrigerate overnight. Strain the wine (removing the woodruff sprigs); add the berries and soda water. Serve in chilled wine glasses. From Emeril Live

MINT JULEP MARTINI
Ingredients needed:
24 to 32 fresh mint leaves
4 tablespoons simple syrup
Crushed ice
8 ounces Belvedere Vodka
4 sprigs of mint for garnish
4 martini glasses, cold
For one drink: Put 6 to 8 mint leaves, 1 tablespoon simple syrup and crushed ice in the bottom of a tall glass. With the handle of a wooden spoon, crush and mash the leaves to extract the flavor. Add two ounces vodka and shake several times. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a small mint sprig.
From Emeril Live
Yields: 1 drink