Bartender Book of the Month Club: Drink Your Garden
Welcome to Chilled’s Bartender Book of the Month Club, your monthly guide to essential reads for bartenders.
Each month, we spotlight a standout book to add to your collection and keep your creativity flowing.
This month’s book is Drink Your Garden | Belinda Kelly, Venise Cunningham, Rylea Foehl | W. W. Norton & Company
Authors: Belinda Kelly and Venise Cunninham
A Beautifully Crafted Guide to Intentional, Sustainable Drinking
From craft cocktails to mocktails, Drink Your Garden: Recipes, Stories, and Tips from the Simple Goodness Cocktail Farm is a one-of-a-kind drink-making guide for anyone looking to elevate their beverages with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Written by sisters Venise Cunningham and Belinda Kelly, this garden-to-glass handbook blends creativity, sustainability, and nostalgia with more than 100 recipes for alcoholic, low-ABV, and non-alcoholic drinks.
Based in Buckley, Washington, Venise and Belinda run the Simple Goodness Cocktail Farm and the Simple Goodness Soda Shop—a café, tasting room, and event space where they host classes, live music, and regular happy hours. Their syrups, made from fresh, farm-grown ingredients, can be found in stores across the country, making their farm-to-glass ethos accessible to anyone.
“We wanted to create a book that celebrates all kinds of drinking—whether you’re savoring a classic cocktail, hosting a family-friendly happy hour, or exploring the sober-curious trend,” says co-author Belinda Kelly.
“Drinks, like food, deserve thoughtfulness and creativity, and this book shows how to create that in your kitchen or backyard.”
What Makes Drink Your Garden Unique
The book captures the best of the modern drink movement, offering:
Recipes for syrups, shrubs, bitters, and infused spirits like Buzz Button Gin, Poblano Liqueur, and Brown Butter Vodka.
Non-alcoholic options like Lavender Honey Cordial Spritz and Creamy Tea Cobbler.
Low-ABV drinks for moderation, like Clarified Milk Punch.
Classic and innovative cocktails like the Garden Gibson, Bloody Bunny, and Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini.
With a detailed infusion guide, tips for growing drink-worthy plants, and zero-waste techniques, Drink Your Garden is as practical as it is beautiful. The sisters share stories from their Washington farm, inspiring readers to embrace a simpler, more sustainable way of life—one drink at a time.
A Timely Response to Drink Trends
Mocktails, sober living, and wellness drinks are part of a $7 billion trend redefining how we drink. But Drink Your Garden goes deeper, offering real ingredients, thoughtful preparation, and a return to hands-on creativity. And for those who don’t have a green thumb, it’s just as easy to pick up fresh, seasonal produce from your local farmers market or store to bring the recipes to life.
About The Authors: Based in the Pacific Northwest, sisters Belinda Kelly and Venise Cunningham share a dedication to bringing people together around homegrown, thoughtfully crafted drinks. Together they operate Simple Goodness Farm, a cocktail farm where they grow herbs, flowers, and produce to support their line of beverage mixers and their craft cocktail café, the Soda Shop.
Their Simple Goodness Syrups are shipped nationwide, and the sisters host classes and events at the Soda Shop. They have been featured in Real Simple, Sunset, and on Rachael Ray. For more information and a behind-the-scenes look at family farming, visit www.simplegoodness.com.
The Bartender’s Bookshelf: Book of the Month Club
Welcome to Chilled’s Bartender Book of the Month Club, your monthly guide to essential reads for bartenders, cocktail enthusiasts, industry pros and anyone looking to elevate their craft. Each month, we spotlight a standout book—whether it’s a deep dive into cocktail history, a recipe-packed guide, or a memoir from a legendary bartender—Chilled will help you build a library that inspires and educates while keeping your creative spirits flowing.
The post Bartender Book of the Month Club: Drink Your Garden appeared first on Chilled Magazine.