Thrilled to be bringing you the audio from the Live Taping on Herbal Mixology done in 2019 in Dallas at the Gardenuity HQ! The entire evening was built around my two favorite things: herbs and drinks! We had an amazing panel of female founders talking about how liquor and spirits are made (spoiler alert, they come from plants!), how to incorporate herbs and veggies into our cocktails and how to grow and select those plants! It's an amazing conversation with amazing women I'm thrilled to introduce you to! Meet the panelists Donna, Claudia and Chris!

Donna is the co-founder of Gardenuity: a company that ships container gardens right to your door. They take the stress and hustle out of growing your own food. Whether you are looking for a kitchen herb garden, peppers, tomatoes, carrots or a variety of seasonal herbs and vegetables, Gardenuity will make growing them to harvest super simple. They have a cocktail herb garden which Billy and I have had for a couple of years that would be a fun purchase if you get inspired after this episode! You can mention the code “Spring2020″ will save $10 off of any order at Gardenuity.com – this will be valid until the end of June 2020.

Claudia is the cofounder of Katy Trail Vodka which is crafted by Silver Nickel Distillery, one of the first distilleries in the city of Dallas, TX since prohibition. All of their products are crafted, distilled and bottled in Dallas and are gluten free. They also use no artificial coloring or flavoring in their product which is a topic of our discussion on the panel.

Chris from HD Liquid Catering and Betty Cocktail is a master mixologist who “moonlights” at all of the hottest Dallas bars and consults for the new speakeasy being set up in the Texas Rangers Globe Life Park and her own company Betty Cocktail- her motto is “if you can dream it (with alcohol)… we can do it! She works with service industry workers and home enthusiasts to curate cocktails, craft cocktail menus, elevate home bars, bartender training and more. She joined us today representing HD Liquid Catering which is Dallas’s premier full service bar catering company, and co-founders Heather and Don have over 30 years of experience in the event industry. They are highly respected across Texas, and you can see their amazing work on their IG page @hdliquidcater. Chris has her hands in allllllll the mixology pots in the Dallas scene, but she is just the coolest gal, an empowerer of women and an all around lady boss.

** just to be clear, when we refer to “edibles” in this podcast, it refers to edible vegetables and herbs… nothing regarding Cannabis. Edible plants and veggies are what we are talking about adding to our drinks! **

In this episode we learn:

• How liquors are made (from plants!)
• How vodka is made and what distilling is
• Strategies for shopping for liquor at the store
• Importance of natural flavorings
• Best starter cocktail herbs
• Basic herb care
• History of mixology
• Tips for a beginner to make a great cocktail
• Suggestions for herb/liquor pairings
• How to incorporate herbs into cocktails: infused syrups and alcohols, garnishes and salt rims
• Mocktail ideas

Follow Gardenuity:

** Spring gardens are shipping nationally! You can mention the code “Spring2020″ to save $10 off of any order at Gardenuity.com – this will be valid until the end of June 2020 **

Website: gardenuity.com

IG: @gardenuity

Follow Katy Trail Vodka:

Website: katytrailvodka.com

IG: @katytrailvodka

Follow Chris and HQ Liquid Catering

Website: hdliquidcatering.com

IG: @hdliquidcater

Betty Cocktail (Chris's personal business): bettycocktail.com

IG: @bettycocktail

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio

Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /Bloomandgrowradio

Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com

Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club