Seasonally-Synced Drinks with ETCH Sparkling.
As part of our recent Wonder Full Women's Weekend Retreat, I provided pre-dinner non-alcoholic seasonally-inspired drinks each night. The main drink ingredient was ETCH Sparkling. I was first introduced to ETCH over the Summer holidays, as they too were part of the Somers Wellness Week. Their ethics and tagline really resonate with me -
"Inclusive drinks for all occasions"
ETCH Sparkling is a small family business based on the Mornington Peninsula and provides delicious, all-natural, alcohol-free drinks with no sugar or preservatives. For ETCH, 'health' refers to mental, spiritual, and physical health, as well as the health of our planet and our soils. They feature sustainably farmed native Australian ingredients and are proudly Australian-made and owned.
I also recruited the help and expertise of my dear friend Cecilia Rosenberg in the creation of our special drinks. Cecilia is a Melbourne-based functional nutritionist and health coach. We had such a fun afternoon mixing, muddling and tasting. We giggled and cackled like white witches whilst we were creating and concocting drinks, you can hear us if you listen closely to the insta reel attached below 😁.
So, as requested, here are the recipes for the drinks. During the first evening, we shared "Yang & Yin with ETCH Sparkling" to help us transition from the yang of Late Summer to the yin of Autumn. It also helped hydrate us all, in readiness for the Silent Disco provided by Soph of Pohss.
On Saturday evening we shared "Yin with ETCH Sparkling" to help us attune to the more inward-turning season of Autumn.
YANG & YIN with ETCH Sparkling
Ingredients:
ZST ETCH Sparkling, chilled.
fresh finger lime pearls
fresh ginger
fresh mint leaves
a drop of honey or maple syrup (optional)
Finger Limes
are native Australian citrus.
are high in vitamin C, folate, potassium, and vitamin E.
their main harvest season is March to May.
You can find more information via the Australian Native Food and Botanicals website - https://anfab.org.au
Ginger
is antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, analgesic, and antibacterial.
when fresh it helps to break down high-protein foods such as meat and beans.
helps relieve nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, morning sickness, motion sickness, menstrual and stomach cramps, amenorrhea, bronchitis, and aches.
Mint
supports & strengthens the Heart (TCM).
is readily available in Late Summer.
Honey
moistens dryness.
harmonises the Liver (TCM), neutralises toxins and relieves pain.
its sweet and antitoxic properties can be used to break the cycle of alcoholism.
has a harmonising effect.
when local and raw, can help with hay fever and allergies.
is mainly harvested in Late Summer and Autumn.
Lemon Myrtle
leaves can be harvested all year.
contains the highest amount of citral of any other plant in the world, and its flavour is said to be lemonier than lemon.
is full of antioxidants and vitamin E.
has antimicrobial and antifungal properties.
is rich in calcium and folate.
Directions:
Place some fresh finger lime pearls into your glass/glasses along with a sprig of mint.
Finely chop the ginger into thin slivers.
Add some finger lime pearls to the ginger and bruise both with the back of a spoon OR bruise both in a mortar and pestle. Add the ginger and finger lime paste to your glass/glasses.
Pour in your ZST ETCH Sparkling. Add an ice cube or two and serve.
Qing Qing! *
Yin with ETCH Sparkling
Ingredients:
MTN ETCH Sparkling, chilled.
fresh blackberry and/or raspberry
fresh mountain pepperberry leaves
red de-seeded chilli (optional)
a drop of honey or maple syrup (optional)
Raspberry
benefits Liver & Kidneys (TCM).
enriches and cleanses the blood of toxins.
regulates the menstrual cycle.
controls urinary functions.
treats aneamia.
can be used to induce and promote labour.
is harvested during Summer, Late Summer, and early Autumn depending on the variety.
Blackberry
is closely related to the raspberry.
has blood-building properties (TCM).
is harvested in Late Summer and early Autumn.
Mountain Pepperberry
contains anti-inflammatory ingredients.
is effective for reducing vasodilation and oedema.
its leaves can be harvested throughout the year.
Directions:
Place one blackberry and/or one raspberry into your glass/glasses and muddle (gently squash) with the back of a spoon.
Bruise and/or crush some Mountain Pepperberry leaves in your clean hands and then add to your glass/glasses; 1-2 leaves per glass.
Add some thin slices of red chilli to each glass if desired (it adds an extra kick of spice).
Pour in your MTN ETCH Sparkling. Add an ice cube or two and serve.
Qing Qing!*
Please leave comments and/or share your own experience in preparing these recipes below.
And as promised, here are links and further information on all the various wonderful women and small businesses whom I collaborated with during the Wonder Full Women's Weekend Retreat (in alphabetical order) -
Apoyar; Elizabeth White held supportive space with her Vision Board workshop and also provided nurturing Nutritivo Face Serum and Cream for our face yoga & gua sha session.
Cassia; provided native flowers, homegrown native goodies and super support, she was my right-hand woman for the weekend.
Cecilia Rosenberg; functional nutritionist and health coach.
ETCH SPARKLING; Andy & Jase have kindly offered free shipping on any orders placed with the code "THIRSTY".
Leisa Warrington; surrounded us with incredible artwork.
Living Koko; their "Head & Heart" ceremonial drinking cacao, "Ca-Kava", Cacao Husk tea and 70% Dark Chocolate were magical ingredients added to the weekend.
Loco Love; offered a "gateway to the higher self" through their artisanal chocolates with benefits.
Pohss Studio; Soph provided us with a magical super duper dose of yang with her Silent Disco on Friday night
The Somers General Store; provided guests with exceptional coffee, welcoming friendly faces, and a delicious and nutritious Saturday night dinner.
Somers Shala; marvellous Maz is behind the creation and connection of Somers Wellness Week each year, she is also a MidLIFE & Small Business COACH.
xx Freya
* Qing Qing
In France, Italy, and sometimes Britain, cin cin (pronounced "chin chin") is the colourful toast often used when raising a glass together. It translates as "cheers". Cin cin can be traced back to the Mandarin phrase qing qing. The Mandarin phrase ‘qing qing’ is historically used for drinking rituals in China but is rarely used today.