Iris bartender Sharon Floyd explores herbal medicine and mixology

By Todd A. Price, NOLA.com | Times-Picayune

“To your health” might be the world’s most common toast. Sharon Floyd, the bartender at Iris and a yoga instructor, is taking that sentiment literally and investigating the medicinal qualities of herbs used in cocktails. Floyd, who has researched Ayurveda herbal medicine, plans to eventually compile her findings on a website called Bartanica for fellow bartenders.

Iris bartender Sharon Floyd explores role of herbal medicine in cocktails.

“The reason I find it applicable to the bartending industry,” said Floyd, “is because Ayurveda considers what we ingest to be most important in managing optimum health.”

On Wednesday, January 11, Floyd will share the preliminary results of her work at a talk sponsored by the New Orleans chapter of the United States Bartending Guild. The event is free and open to anyone interested in the intersection of herbal medicine and bartending. Floyd’s research and website were supported by a grant from Tales of the Cocktail.