Douglas Fir is one of the most ubiquitous trees in our region here in the Pacific Northwest. They're everywhere, tall and stately, decorating our landscape with sheltering, aromatic, silhouettes. Traditionally, the Doug Fir tree was used in communities of Cascadia for many things including building structures & canoes, using the pitch as skin medicine, and even drinking tonics made from the leaves and bark for colds, coughs, and kidney/bladder ailments. But the way I came to learn about Doug Fir was via its bright green spring tips. I was taught that these tips were like nature's gatorade, and if you're ever lost in the woods, you can chew on these tips for for hydration and energy. They quench thirst and hunger, and have a pleasant lemony-piney sweet flavor. You can make Sun Tea with the tips to make a truly delicious, hydrating treat. 

This year, I decided to play with Doug Fir more than I have in the past, and see what kind of treats I could come up with! I made Doug Fir infused vodka to use in cocktails, a Doug Fir simple syrup that I turned into sorbet, and am drying lots of tips to save for tea! 

Harvesting Doug Fir Tips: while there is a bounty of tips to be found in this region, always make sure you don't take too many from one tree, because these tips are the tree's spring growth, so when we forage the tips, we're pruning the tree! So take your time gathering from a bunch of different trees so as no to leave one too bare. 

Infusions

Anywhere from 1 cup to 3 handfuls of tips work well for each 750 ml. of water or vodka. Some people like to blend up the tips so that there's more surface area, but I have found them just fine without. If you're making Sun Tea, add the tips and water to a clean jar and let it do its thing in the sun for a couple of days. If you're infusing vodka, do the same thing, but keep it in a darker cooler place for a few days (I usually do somewhere between 2-4 days). After the infusion time, simply strain out the solid plant material and enjoy it on its own or mixed in drinks. 

Basic Lemonade (to use in Doug Fir Cocktails!): 

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups of water to dilute

Method: on the stove top let the sugar and water come to a boil, once the sugar has dissolved, allow this syrup to cool completely. Once cooled, mix the lemon juice, 3/4 cup-1 cup syrup, and 3 cups of water. Stir/shake well. Serve over ice with a slice of lemon, or use the lemonade to make a Doug Fir Cocktail! Or honestly, if you want to take a shortcut, you can totally replace the 3 cups of water with pre-made Doug Fir Sun Tea or Doug Fir Vodka, and not even make the cocktail that I list below. I'm sure Doug Fir Basic Lemonade on its own is great, too!

Doug Fir Cocktail/Mocktail

• 1.5 oz. Doug Fir infused Vodka (or Doug Fir Sun Tea)
• 3 oz. of the basic lemonade as outlined above
• 1 dropper of Roots & Crowns Forest Bitters
• pretty ice cubes and/or Doug Fir tips for garnish

Make this in your shaker with any old ice, pour over pretty ice cubes in your favorite glass, and garnish with either a slice of lemon or a Doug Fir tip! ENJOY! This is seriously such a refreshing treat for warm afternoons. 

Doug Fir Sorbet

• 3 cups fresh Doug Fir tips
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup sugar or honey
• 3 tsp. fresh lime juice
• garnishes like chocolate, flowers, or more tips

Bring the tips, water, & sweetener to a light boil. Turn off the flame, cover, and let steep for about half an hour. Remove solids, add the lime juice, mix well, and pour into your ice cream maker! Sorbets take a little longer to solidify in the machine than ice creams do, but my goodness what a simple process. I'm glad I splurged on an ice cream maker in time for sorbet/ice cream season! I got this one. (Yes, in millennial pink! :)) You can use the sorbet kinda soft right out of the machine or let it harden in the freezer. This recipe makes a good quart+ so you can keep some for later on! I also loved adding a scoop of Doug Fir Sorbet to my champagne. It looks beautiful and tastes divine! 

I hope you enjoyed this post and share it will anyone who would have fun with it, too! Tag @rootsandcrownspdx on any photos you post of your creations that were inspired by this! 

Special thanks to herbalist Elise Krohn for first turning me onto these conifer tips, and for inspiring some of these recipes! 

It seems to be a spring thing that we begin doing a lot more events for local businesses. We love that! It's nice to feel the inspiration from what is blooming as we come up with drink ideas, and it's nice to feel the common sense of emerging to socialize within the community. 

Here are two drinks we recently did: one for the new brilliant barbershop, Morehouse Barbershop, and one for Solabee's one year anniversary in their stunning new space. Noteworthy also, is the fact that these are also businesses with whom we've become good friends with. Kale Chesney is now with Morehouse Barbershop, but has been our dear friend for a long time and also is the genius behind all of Roots & Crowns's branding. And Solabee is a group of beautiful women who have embraced Roots & Crowns in community, and is constantly an inspiration for jungle goals in home and heart! 

The Morehouse Buzz

1.5 oz. Dogwood Distilling Gin
.5 oz. Rosemary Simple Syrup
.25 oz. Lemon 
1 dropperful Roots & Crowns Blues Away Bitters

Purple Rain

1.5 oz. Dogwood Distilling Vodka
.5 oz. Violet Simple Syrup**
1/2 dropperful Roots & Crowns Detox Bitters
.5 oz. Lemon
1 dropperful Roots & Crowns Violet Essence 
top with 2 oz. fizzy water 

**The Violet Bundle has been totally sold out! So if you're trying to make your own Violet Syrup for this recipe, check out my blog post on Violets! 

There's something about catching a glimpse of a Violet patch amongst all the Spring green that becomes like a treasure hunt for me. Flashes of purple as I drive down busy streets, and the strength of their scent given how small they are. I love Violets! I started experimenting with violet infused honey a few years ago, and this year I created a little challenge for myself to go full-on violet with my menu and for an upcoming cocktail event that we'll be doing for Solabee Flowers here in Portland. 

What I came to realize, is that making violet syrups comes with a whole array of colors and alchemy! The ratio of Violets to water matters, as does your decision to add acid to the mix.

So play with the volume of violets, and play with the acid (like fresh lemon!) to come out with different potency and colors. It's a fun thing to play at, and the result is tasty! 

                                   

...and with that comes the weird late-winter blues. 

I don't know about you, but I've been feeling pretty low-energy. Adam and I sleep nine hours or more each night, being the early-to-bed, early-to-rise creatures of the Pacific Northwest. I like this pace of life, but I am anxious for spring plants to start sprouting out of the earth, and for the sunshine to return more. 

I cannot recommend self-care baths, night-time and morning rituals, and drinking nourishing tea, enough. If you haven't checked out my You're Ok bundle yet, I think it's a helpful way to curate a good self-care evening in. The new You're OK tea is a good option for calm vibes for any time of day and can be used in the following cocktail/mocktail! 

Here's a recipe for a nice night-cap to keep us well-rested with happy dreams:            

Ingredients:
1 brown sugar cube
Rest Well Bitters
slice Meyer lemon
2 oz Bourbon
ice cube (freeze with camomile if you're feeling fancy)

Soak brown sugar cube with 2 droppers of Rest Well Bitters in glass. Add slice of Meyer lemon and muddle. Top with whiskey, stir well and add ice cube. Enjoy!

*Can be served hot!
*Bourbon can be replaced with steeped You're Ok Tea for non-alcoholic version

**Photos borrowed from the beautiful feature that Beam & Anchor did on me and my work a few months ago**

Wow. What a week it's been. The decision to switch over from Etsy is ridden with feelings of nervousness, excitement, my brain swirling with new ideas, and sincere gratitude for everyone who has supported me enough to get me to this point. 

(Cocktail recipe below my comments on the new moon)

Though I was fully ready to switch last week, I believe in the energy of the moon, and wanted to be "fully live" in correlation with the new moon. The new moon is a time when intentions are planted, a cycle renews, and there is power in beginning. Ever since I started doing new moon intentions about 7 years ago, I see the patterns of the seasons and specifically within the phases of the moon, as a gift we get to harness and transfer into practical application to our lives. 

This particular new moon also corresponds with a solar eclipse, and an energy of deep rebirth through our deepest feelings and potentials. Astrologers speak of long over-due endings and fresh starts. They also remind us that Pisces is the last sign in the zodiac and carries the empathy and feelings of the entire zodiac within it. So if you're feeling extra feely these days, know you're not alone. Chani Nicholas says that imagination is our greatest currency at this time- "May we use this moment to reset ourselves, emptying ourselves out and orienting ourselves towards the most compassionate, imaginative ways forward. May we use the eclipse to call up the great healing powers within, giving ourselves exactly what we need without hesitation or restraint."

Not that every momentous occasions needs a cocktail, but I do enjoy coming up with cocktails/mocktails to mark occasions like this transition to my own website. It's also a nourishing way of sitting for a few quiet moments and considering your intentions for the upcoming lunar cycle. 

Phases of the Moon Cocktail:

2 oz. freshly brewed Raspberry Leaf Tea
4 oz. Q ginger beer (I like this brand because it's spicy and not syrupy-sweet!)
1 slice of Lime
Roots & Crowns Moon Bitters
1.5 oz. Dogwood Distilling Vodka (optional)
ice

To brew the raspberry leaf tea, use 1 tsp. of tea to 8 oz. of boiling water. Let steep covered for 10 minutes. Cool.

Fill your favorite glass with ice. Add 2 oz. of cooled raspberry leaf tea, 4 oz. (or thereabouts) of Q ginger beer. If you want the version with alcohol, add 1.5 oz. of vodka. Add 2 droppers of Roots & Crowns Moon Bitters. Squeeze a slice of lime in, and garnish. Enjoy!