Its nearly March already, the light is returning and it’s time to look outside and celebrate the first signs of spring. A tree strongly associated with reawakening in Scottish folklore is birch. This elegant tree, known as the Lady of the Woods, is a symbol of the re-birth and renewal of spring and she holds many amazing secrets.
As a ‘pioneer’ species, birch was one of the first trees to recolonise Scotland after the last ice-age - her shed autumn leaves break down easily to create soil that enables other plants to establish. Birch is one of my favourite trees, synonymous with Scotland’s landscapes and I carry her leaves on my arm everywhere with me - if you meet me at an event or farmer’s market you’ll see.
Birch trees of different species are used in many cultures around the world for flavour and herbal remedies and tea can be made from their leaves and bark. There are three species of birch native to Scotland: the silver birch with the beautiful white bark that you will be familiar with; downy birch with baby soft fuzzy leaves; and dwarf birch, the shrubby species adapted to high mountain tops, which is sadly now a rare find. Both silver and downy birch can be used to make birch tea from the leaves and catkins, which are the fruiting bodies that are out at the same time. Male catkins are droopy and female ones stand upright (figure that!). Pick leaves and catkins when they are fully out but before they turn harder in late spring. Dry in an ‘only just warm’ oven or a warm room, turning often. When fully dry store in an airtight jar, in the dark.
Birch sap can also be tapped but only from mature trees and only with permission from the landowner. Scottish birch sap is available from Birkentree Birch sap is much less sugary than maple sap, from which maple syrup is made and much less potent in flavour than the leaves and catkins so it seems a shame to steal the winter store from the tree, to me. Instead, our first spirit release at Highland Boundary is made from birch leaves and catkins and is the first birch spirit to be made in Scotland for centuries. Did you know that birch leaves used to be put into whisky? Our distillation, which uses an ancient design of alembic pot still, enables us to concentrate the wintergreen flavour of the birch, which is a clean fresh flavour that tingles on your tongue and brings huge waves of morphing flavours across your palate when you drink the spirit straight. Try with some ice, straight from the freezer or with soda and a lime slice.
But the secret of the birch is not just it’s own amazing flavour but that wintergreen (or methyl salicylate if you want the science) works as a natural flavour enhancer. Added to any cocktail it works to explode all the other flavours in the cocktail across your senses making a hyper-flavourful concoction. It really has to be tasted to be believed – here’s our favourite birch cocktails to try or simply replace vodka or gin with Highland Boundary Birch and Elderflower spirit in your go-to cocktail to elevate the flavours and live a little wildly! Also below a lovely wee birch mocktail for a week night or if you are off the booze.
Wild Birch Mojito Cocktail
https://highlandboundary.com/blogs/how-to-serve/the-macjito-cocktail (aka the Scottish version — the Macjito)
- Add 50mls of Highland Boundary Birch and Elderflower spirit to a tall glass
- Crush a handful of fresh mint and 2–3 lime segments with the spirit to extract the flavours using a cocktail muddler (or use the end of a bar or wooden spoon)
- Add 25mls lime juice (find this in the baking section of the supermarket beside the lemon juice)
- Add 25mls of Elderflower Cordial (we’ll get to making your own later in the spring)
- Add ice and top up with sparkling or soda water and stir
White Raven Cocktail
https://highlandboundary.com/blogs/how-to-serve/white-raven-outlander-themed-cocktail
In a cocktail shaker combine:
- Ice
- 50mls Birch and Elderflower Wild Scottish Spirit
- 25mls lime Juice
- 25mls honeysuckle syrup
- 100mls apple juice
- Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with borage flowers (out of season use a thin slice of apple or star anise).
Birch Reawakening Tea (Mocktail)
Make birch tea:
Use fresh or dried birch leaves picked in early spring. Add the leaves to not quite boiling water (or boil kettle and then leave for 5 mins) in a mug. Dried birch tea also available online if you can’t find fresh leaves.
To make the mocktail:
- Birch leaves
- Mint leaves
- Slices of lemon
- 10–25mls honeysuckle syrup
- Make the birch tea as above adding a few mint leaves and hot water. Add honeysuckle syrup to taste, a slice of lemon and serve.
Remember to practice sustainable foraging: be sure you have identified the plant correctly, pick only what you need and take a little from many different plants and places https://foragers-association.org/principles
Allergies and contraindications: remember any plant can be an allergen. If you have allergies to birch trees or birch pollen, you should not drink birch or if you are pregnant or on medication ask your GP about safety.