Botanical Notes
Our vermouths pay homage to the English countryside, and the botanicals we use are typical of things you would find growing wild in any flourishing neck of the woods, depending on the season.
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Wormwood
Traditional staple of vermouths. Strongly bitter taste, and should be used sparingly! In traditional medicine, this plant was known to aid digestion, and is also the main ingredient of absinthe.
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Hawthorn leaf
Hawthorns blossom in the spring, and their lovely little white flowers can be seen in hedgerows all across the country. The leaves have a lovely gentle, almost nutty taste. In traditional medicine hawthorn is known to help with cardiovascular issues.
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Nettle
Has been used for hundreds of years to treat painful muscles, and a whole host of other things! Most importantly for Ostara, they have a beautiful fresh green flavour, like spinach but tasty…
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Dandelion root
In traditional folk medicine, dandelion root has long been used to treat stomach and liver conditions, as it has diuretic properties. The old English name is actually “pissabed” or “piddlybed” because of this – so watch out!
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Burdock root
Earthy, rooty, but with a bit of sweetness to it as well. Usually a happy partner to dandelion in everyone’s favourite old-fashioned pop, and for Ostara providing a nice, long, almost woody flavour.
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Hyssop
Mentioned in the bible and naturalised to northern Europe and America, Hyssop has a slight, sweet aroma and bitter taste, and was often used in stews and teas.
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Thyme
A more familiar herb perhaps; subtle, earthy, perhaps even vaguely minty, being in that family.
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Orange Peel
Um, a bit orangey. We use a little orange to bring some citrus, but in a nice, gentle way.
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Meadowsweet
Also sometimes called Bridewort – this most fantastic of plants was revered in Celtic times and often used in love potions and bridal bouquets. In 1897 scientists working for the German company Bayer synthesised an element of this plant into a drug they called aspirin. Taste-wise the flavour is sweet, almost almond-like, and the plant was often used in traditional beer brewing.
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Oak Chip
The oak is my favourite tree, so had to be included! Lovely length on the palate and (obviously) a woody flavour which "carries" and balances out all the citrussy elements.
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Juniper berry
You might be familiar with the taste of juniper from gin, as it's the prime botanical ingredient to good gin, and drives those tastes. Often used in cuisine as far back as in ancient Egypt or Rome, and mentioned in Nicholas Culpeper’s herbal as a cure for flatulence...
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Lavender
The unmistakeable, slightly bitter aroma is ubiquitous to English gardens or the countryside, and the floral, not overly sweet taste is integral to Ostara.
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Lemon peel
Used in Ostara to provide more citrus, balancing out the more earthy green tones.
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Coriander seed
Slightly peppery, again often used in gin distillation and cooking. Warm, nutty, spicy, and a firm favourite!
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Bilberries
Sometimes called whortleberry. These amazing berries are very deep blue in colour, with an extremely acidic flavour, so must be handled with care!
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Hawthorn berries
Small, bright red berries that pack a powerful punch and are often used in home-made liqueurs with gin or brandy. Arguably more pleasant than sloes, being less sweet and syrupy, for Ostara they bring a clean, crisp fruitiness and rich colour to our Red.
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Black tea
Wonderful earthy flavour and dark, rich colours, we use black tea to lengthen the palate of our Red vermouth and provide more strong flavours.
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Cassia
Tastes like cinnamon, but is a bit stronger, more bitter, and in our opinion, a bit more tasty! We use it to help bind all our wonderful flavours together and give a bit more of a traditional vermouth taste.
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Nutmeg
Gentle, spicy, warming…. Everyone loves nutmeg, don’t they?
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Elderflower
Elderflower cordial is a flowery, light, fruity delight, and it plays that role in Ostara, bringing that unmistakeable flavour, and memories of summery days. Elderflower also has a variety of functional health benefits, to the extent that elder trees were highly revered and respected.
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Vanilla
Sweet perfumed aroma, and a slight smoky taste round off all these spices so wonderfully that we think it’s OK to “slightly” bend our English Hedgerow rules here!
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Angelica Root
Often used in gin distillation, the earthy, herbal aroma is a great counterpoint to our green, punchy botanicals, and is sometimes considered a good binding agent for flavours.
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Southernwood
Also known as Southern Wormwood, so clearly a cousin of wormwood. Other alternatives like “lad’s love” or “maid’s ruin” hint at traditional folk uses and stories. In the case of Ostara, southernwood gives a lovely warm, aromatic taste.
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