Next up in our preview of our new field guide Wildcraft Homebrew is this Rowan Bud Amaretto recipe by our contributor Leanne Townsend.

Every time we pass a rowan tree, or mountain ash, in autumn, our daughter Georgia reminds me of the folk tale she heard that a full rowan tree predicts a cold winter. Last autumn, when we passed our familiar rowan tree on the route to school, she told me it was going to be a warm winter because the tree was light on berries. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the reason was less meteorological and more from our homebrewing efforts earlier in the year.

Rowan flowers on their own have a gorgeous almondy flavour, which is extracted beautifully here in alcohol. This recipe was kindly passed on from the wonderful Leanne Townsend from Wild Food Story, in Aberdeenshire. It was one of those that I saw and immediately had to make! 

Do note that the almond flavour in the rowan buds comes from cyanogenic glycosides which, when digested, convert into hydrogen cyanide which is toxic in high doses. So, use the amaretto sparingly and you will be fine. 

Wild Food Stories is run by Leanne Townsend. Based in Aberdeenshire she offers courses, workshops and other interactive events throughout Scotland. As well as foraging courses, she run workshops on wild food preservation, wild booze (including wild cocktails and botanical infusions) and the role of foraging in environmental and human wellbeing. You can find her at https://www.instagram.com/wildfoodstory/