Danny Childs Invites Readers to Explore the World of Slow Drinks

Anthropologist, ethnobotanist, and long-time bar manager at locavore restaurant The Farm and Fisherman Tavern in Cherry Hill, Danny Childs has added another professional title to his resume: book author of Slow Drinks.

The book invites readers to explore the natural world for ingredients for “meads, country wines, beers, sodas, tinctures, shrubs, and more.” It taps into techniques both ancient and modern. And along with unexpected and exquisitely fresh flavors, readers can gain powerful benefits from incorporating locally foraged plants in their drinks.

“Getting outside in nature and getting your hands dirty is physiologically beneficial,” Childs asserts. “We’re trapped inside so much. Discovering what’s growing right under our noses is invigorating and reality-shifting.”

Writing his popular column of the same name for Edible Jersey from 2016 to 2020 got the ball rolling. “Some of the stories from the book are a honed-in version of what I wrote in Edible,” says the author.

With sumptuous photos by Danny’s wife, Katie Childs, and illustrations by Molly Reader, Slow Drinks is adaptable to all regions and serves both beginner and professional drink-makers. And naturally, it is organized by the seasons—“a snapshot of what the seasons taste like,” says Childs. “There’s so much out there to be discovered.”

The book drops on October 3. —M. Procopio

@slowdrinks