The Vancouver Sun recently had an article that made me smile. Danielle Tatarin bar manger at the new chic Keefer Hotel in Vancouver, Canada has been mixing up cocktails with an Asian twist. Below are some quotes from her interview. Be sure to check out the original article as she even gives out one of her “ancient” cocktail recipes – The Tigers Tail. This Keefer Bar cocktail features astragalus root, a Chinese herb I often recommend in my Chicago practice to enhance the body’s immune system and energy (qi).

“Incorporating Chinese medicine into cocktails is pretty out there and some people are, like, really?” Tatarin says. “But to me it was a no-brainer. I found that the herbs used in Chinese medicine are often incorporated into teas and tinctures and that made it easy for me to work with in my cocktail formulas.”

“First thing I did back in November was go to a bunch of markets in Chinatown and pick up barks, dried flowers, etc., and start working on making bitters and tinctures to be ready for when we opened.”

“Sure, people need to relax after all the partying. I’m sure they need to boost their immune systems as well with all the flowers blooming so early,” Tatarin says, adding, “I have lots of good remedies!”