I was so excited to meet Matthew Biancaniello of Eat Your Drink at the Sunkist Orchard Tour in Oxnard a few weeks ago. He truly inspired me with his plant-forward drink philosophy. What an exciting, passionate culinary master he is!
Matthew, a well known cocktail chef in LA, visits the farmers market and even forages for his ingredients to make cocktails. He demonstrated his mixology skills at the Sunkist Orchard Tour, plus we got to sample some amazing cocktails. He uses all sorts of exotic and unusual plants, such as a variety of basils, lavender, bergamot, herb flowers, Surinam cherries, and even wild plants he forages for in the Santa Monica Mountains. He’s even trying to reproduce a Native American wild beer, which was once enjoyed in this region centuries ago.
Here are Matthew’s basics for creating a plant-heavy cocktail.
Matthew’s “Template” for Healthy Cocktails
2 ounces spirit of choice
3/4 ounce fresh Sunkist lime or lemon juice
3/4 ounce honey syrup with the specs above
Fruit of your choice
Herb of your choice
Muddle everything except spirit, then add spirit and ice and shake and strain into a glass with ice.
For example, you can turn this formula into a spicy heirloom tomato mojito or a Surinam cherry tomato herbal cocktail.
And you don’t have to make plant-focused cocktails alcoholic to enjoy them. You can apply Matthew’s flavorful philosophy with flavored waters, like the watermelon citrus cooler below.
