Botanicals & Beverages

Grinding herbsI’m often asked what inspired the name Bartanica.

And I have to bite my tongue to keep from saying something completely false, like, “It’s an homage to Battlestar Galactica.” (Ok, that’s not entirely untrue.)

But the true truth is that the name originates from my love of herbal apothecaries and healthy living in general. A few years ago, I became a certified Ayurvedic practitioner. Ayurveda is considered an “alternative” medicine here in the West, but it is still practiced by about 80% of doctors in India, where it originates. There is a strong herbal component to the practice that fascinates me, and the more that I learn about medicinal botanicals, the more I realize that many of them are included in spirits behind the bar, in various tonics, elixirs, liqueurs, syrups and bitters.

An herbal dispensary in Latin America and much of the Caribbean is called a botánica.

Knowing this, the growing popularity of Ayurveda and Yoga as a lifestyle, and the famous reputation of New Orleans as a forerunner in the bar and cocktail scene, I arrived at the name Bartanica fairly easily. I think it encapsulates herbalism, spirituality, and cocktails beautifully, and rolls off the tongue with sci-fi intrigue (Gattaca, anyone?).