Rasāsvāda Ruby Artemisia

The aromatized bitter, decocted.

Founded in New York by Connor Godfrey, who came to herbalism through his cousin Joshua Kaiser — founder of Rishi Tea & Botanicals — and through a difficult season that taught him the restorative power of plants. The name is Sanskrit: rasāsvāda, the taste of bliss when the mind grows quiet. Of the three Rasāsvāda expressions, Ruby Artemisia is the bright one — the aperitif pour, drawn from wormwood, plum, and red grape.

Wormwood — the artemisia of the name — paired with ume plum, maqui berry, and red wine grape skins for a vinous core. Chrysanthemum, artichoke leaf, and cinchona bark draw the bitterness through. Yunnan Pu'er and Kurokoji green tea give the pour a quiet alertness — expect about 26mg of caffeine in two ounces, roughly a cup of tea. Sixteen plants in all, slowly decocted. Bright at the front. Bitter through the middle. A long, vinous close.

The Pour

Pour it long over ice with sparkling water and a wide ribbon of lemon — an aperitif for the late afternoon. Stir it into a zero-proof Negroni when the evening wants something more vinous. Or shake it into a bitter margarita with non-alcoholic tequila, fresh lime, and a salted rim — the brand's preferred translation.

Rienne Index™

Sweetness: Off-Dry
Body: Medium-Full
Occasion: Aperitif, late afternoon, the bright pour
Serve: Long over ice with sparkling water. Wide lemon ribbon. (Contains caffeine.)