Mixology + Ethnobotany: Meet Danny Childs

An Interview with the author (and friend!) of the James Beard Award Winning book Slow Drinks

Hello dear readers. How are you handling these HOT summer days? Or is it just Virginia that is feeling deeply muggy and stagnant right now? At the moment we are getting a steady stream of rain from the tropical storm that has made its way up the coast. It’s honestly a nice reprieve from the heat, but the humidity seems to not be going anywhere anytime soon. It’s always around this time in August when it hits me that maybe I am a little tired of the summer heat and humidity. Desires for the cooler temperatures of autumn start to tiptoe in. I’m not quite ready to let go of swimming outside or eating fresh tomatoes from the garden, but also starting to feel the pull toward the cooler months coming ahead. Don’t get me wrong, Virginia seems to stay pretty warm until October and sometimes even November these days. But we also tend to get an incredible show of bright orange and red leaves when the weather does finally decide to turn.

As I shared in my last newsletter, I am falling more and more in love with the plant world every day. I’ve been taking an herbalism course and have now found them popping up more in my dreams and have also been including them more consciously in everyday rituals and cooking. I have plans to make my first flower essence with a friend this weekend and I couldn’t be more excited!

I’ve always been a lover of the natural world and feel really grateful to connect with other people who just get it. Who also fall in love over and over again with the magical healing world of plants and the creative diversity and play that they offer to us. The way we can work with plants to create healing balms, potions, foods and other forms of nourishment and pleasure is such a never ending joy.

An amaro illustration I painted for Danny’s book, Slow Drinks

My interview today is with a wonderful plant lover and creator of magical plant potions and beverages- Danny Childs. Danny and I got to work together when he commissioned me to create illustrations for his book that came out last year called Slow Drinks. Slow drinks just received a James Beard Award! Danny and his wife Katie (who did all of the incredible photography & styling in the book!) were such a joy to work and collaborate with. There was such clear vision with what they wanted to put out into the world with this book, and I am so honored to have played a small part in executing that vision.

I hope you enjoy Danny’s responses, and as always, if you have any lingering questions or reflections, please feel free to comment below!