Knot By Nature

Ingredients:

    •    2 oz Bewilder Be Wilder whiskey

    •    1/2 oz of Japanese Knotweed shrub (recipe below)

    •    1/4 oz of Wild Violet simple syrup (recipe below)

    •    1/8 oz of fresh lemon juice

    •    1 dash of aromatic bitters

    •    Club soda to top

    •    Garnish with fresh Wild Violets and a Japanese Knotweed straw

Instructions:

    1.    In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the whiskey, knotweed shrub, wild violet syrup, lemon juice, and bitters. Shake vigorously until well-chilled.

    2.    Strain the mixture into a chilled highball/Collins glass filled with fresh ice.

    3.    Pour in club soda to top off the drink, giving the cocktail a light effervescence.

    4.    Place a clean, hollow Japanese knotweed stalk to use as a straw and float a few fresh violet flowers on top as garnish

    5.    Sip and enjoy

Japanese Knotweed Shrub Recipe:

   •    1 cup of Japanese knotweed

    •    1 cup of sugar (we use raw cane sugar)

    •    1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar

    •  The ratio is 1:1:1, so follow the ratio for however much shrub you want to make.

Instructions:

    1.    Wash and cut up the Japanese Knotweed into small pieces

    2.    Combine knotweed pieces and sugar into a bowl. Macerate the knotweed by muddling the sugar and knotweed together until sugar is largely dissolved, leaving behind a thick liquid. Let sit for 12-24 hours.

    3.    After maceration, add the apple cider vinegar until all sugar is dissolved.

    4.    Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 days. Shake every 6-12 hours, or as often as you’d like to encourage the infusion of flavors.  

    6.    Strain knotweed pieces using a cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve and pour into a sealable container.

    7.   Keep refrigerated. Keeps well for 2-4 weeks and gets better with time.

Violet Simple Syrup Recipe:

    •    1 cup of wild violet flower petals

    •    1 cup of sugar (we love raw cane sugar)

    •  1 cup of water

Instructions:

    1.    Rinse your violet flowers and pat dry.

    2.    In a small saucepan, bring water to a simmer.

    3.    Add sugar and stir until fully dissolved

    4.    Remove from heat, then add the violet flowers.

    5.    Cover and let steep for at least 30 minutes.

    6.    Strain through a cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve, pressing gently to extract full flavor

    7.    Bottle and refrigerate. Use within 1-2 weeks.