“Novice bartenders are more concerned with training their memory and memorising the ingredients of classic cocktails, while experienced bartenders are more likely to suffer from creative torment: how to create something new and untried? What can you do to surprise bar-goers who have seen it all? Anything, but certainly not overseas products. For those who mix the world up, the exotic is becoming less and less exotic. Perhaps the answer is just around the corner? Something that has been quietly with us since ancient times?

Birch sap is one such revival. For some, it is a nostalgic memory of childhood visits to the countryside. But asphalt kids – like the author of these lines – have only heard of the magical birch elixir… until stylish bottles of sap started to line the shelves of the city’s cafés, boutiques and fashionable bars. Today, gastronomy is increasingly turning to natural flavours found in nature. This trend does not exclude beverages. Bartenders are slowly discovering an unexpected ingredient – Lithuanian birch sap – which is becoming a much sought-after wow element in the usual cocktail. […]”