Get a free cocktail during Seedlip’s Urban Safari
During the pandemic, it was an incredibly popular phenomenon: the cocktail walk. We kept walking, but—with a new year and good intentions—not necessarily with something strong in our hands. We would rather find some peace within ourselves and in nature. But preferably with something tasty at the end—and in this case, it’s free too. Will you join us on Seedlip’s Urban Safari?
Seedlip—you know, the world’s first distilled, non-alcoholic spirit packed with botanicals—is the ideal drink to take into nature, quite literally. Because those botanicals in this delicious drink can also be found in your own surroundings. To help you get started, Seedlip has developed an Urban Safari Guide that lets you explore nature yourself (more specifically: Westerpark in Amsterdam) and finish with a free cocktail at Bar Vesper in the Jordaan. Free, yes, really!
Proven benefits
Walking in nature is incredibly beneficial. Numerous studies have been conducted on the subject and, on a micro level, I can say: it absolutely checks out. I always find peace in nature. No stimuli for a while, just the sounds of birds and trees swaying in the wind—wonderful! But I have no experience with foraging. That’s why Seedlip’s Urban Safari, complete with nature guide Rens Spanjaard and an Urban Safari Guide, is so much fun. Rens knows everything about edible plants, flowers, berries and mushrooms, and leads foraging walks all over the country.
Healthy and even healing
Rens is not only a nature guide but also a chef, so he can tell you all about what you can make with the vegetables and herbs you have gathered. As long as you know how to look. Dandelions, nettles and ground elder: all kinds of edible plants and flowers grow around us, and in many cases they are incredibly healthy and even medicinal. Nettles, for example, are anti-inflammatory. He also explains what you may and may not take with you and what to look out for. Mushrooms are tricky, because you can’t tell with the naked eye what is poisonous and what isn’t, so do your research if you want to make a mushroom risotto from your own foraging afterwards. And always leave plenty behind for the animals.
Butter made from spruce needles from the park
Fun detail: Ben Branson, the founder of the non-alcoholic spirit brand Seedlip, also once started foraging all kinds of botanicals, but simply in his own garden. I follow Ben’s example and take some pine needles from a discarded Christmas tree in Westerpark; the needles are a valuable botanical ingredient—in Scandinavia, people have been cooking with spruce needles for decades. And with this recipe, you can turn them into delicious butter.
We also pick a few flowers to garnish the cocktail we’ll drink after the walk.
The perfect finale
From Westerpark, you can easily walk to Bar Vesper, where a delicious Seedlip cocktail will be made for you. This small, cozy cocktail bar is housed in a charming corner building in the Jordaan. A homely vibe and bartenders who turn every cocktail into a wonderful creation—this is what you call the perfect finale!
Inspired and ready to explore nature yourself? Get the Urban Safari Guide and happy picking!
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