At Clever Beast Botanicals, beverage creators Carlene and Chris Thomas use “cast-off” botanicals to create a sparkling cocktail wine called Tomato Vine Spritz.
Combining the leaves from tomato plants, wild-harvested honeysuckle, scented geraniums, and other indigenous plants, it’s no wonder the herbaceous apéritif tastes like a late summer garden.
Carlene, who is also a cookbook author and nutritionist, explains the process: “We blend a formulation of botanicals, almost like a perfume or gin, with the base apple wine and add bubbles.
For the botanical blend, we use a variety of extraction methods best suited to each plant structure. For example, the roots remain in contact the longest with the wine.” You can taste this dazzling drink at Walsh Family Wine in Purcellville. CleverBeast.co
