ABOUT
Hi! I'm Kat, and this is my business.
I make concentrated mixers in an homage to both herbal and European traditions of bitters.
I’ve been mixing "potions" in my backyard and fermenting them since I could walk. As a kid, I was constantly in the kitchen... baking, experimenting, and blending flavors. These days, I just think of it as "kitchen witchen."
I grew up hiking in the mountains and am from the Western NC region... Thus I have a deep passion for seeing our beautiful mountains get cared for and treasured.
Native plants are a special favorite- identifying, sustainable foraging, growing and processing. I began working with herbs through an elder mentor in my late teens, and followed that up with a Bachelors of Science in Natural Health. I was a clinical herbalist for many years, also co-owning and teaching at a respected herb school here in WNC and all over the southeast.
Herbalism and plants have been a constant in my life for the past 20 years.
I crafted my 5 Signature Flavors in 2018/9 as a way to move from taking herbal medicine (Traditional Chinese Medicine) for my CPTSD to drinking a fancy beverage as grounding, healing support. ...I needed something cheaper, but also, I was tired of how much self-care it felt like it took for me to feel well. My self-care needed to feel more joyful.
I had seen a shrub recipe by respected herbalist, Rosalee de la Forret, where she mixed dandelion (bitters) with strawberry (sweet/sour) and was inspired to try some new things in my kitchen. I prefer not to follow recipes in my home kitchen, so I did my own thing with what I had handy. The results were grounding and refreshing. Strawberry Balsamic Schisandra Shrub Bitters became a daily tradition in my household as N/A spritzers and toddies. (I don't drink alcohol.)
Fast forward to now... I’ve changed the recipes of my 5 Sig Flavors slightly to make them more suitable for sharing with everyone, but they haven't changed much! Lavender, ginger, and even turmeric have dual culinary and health benefits, as do many other botanicals and spices.
My health journey led me to find more joy in my self-care, and I'm honored to bring some of this to you. Savoring the moment is about dropping in, connecting and grounding. While my bitters make a darn tasty cocktail and mocktail mixer, they come from some deep roots in my life.
I hope you enjoy them.
Kat