Herbs, flowers, alternative medicine and, most importantly, booze go into these homemade concoctions.

Aranyani Azevedo says her name means princess of the forest, plus she comes from a long line of gardeners, so it only makes sense that she has an affinity for all things floral.

Last year, with herbs and flowers from her garden and local shops, she started using her knowledge of alternative medicine – her parents were in the alternative medicine movement in the 1970s and ’80s – to create homemade cocktail mixes.

“What I started doing was experimenting with different tinctures from the market to make cocktails that are not only fun, but also have a healing element,” she says.

Her first concoction: A lavender gin daisy. She infused lavender in gin, made floral sugar (sugar infused with flowers), added lemon and lime juice and sparkling water. She was hooked.

Since then, she has made about 20 different recipes. Her favorite mix depends on the season and what’s growing in her Salinas backyard. It’s not that hard, she says. To create her infusions she simply chooses her ingredients, puts them in a bottle of clear alcohol (80 proof or higher) and lets them sit. For fresh herbs and flowers, she says two or three days is typically enough, and for anything dried, let it sit for up to a week.

With spring in full swing, her current favorite recipe is vodka infused with lemon, verbena, rose petal and cardamom, mixed with a homemade lavender or rose simple syrup (just boil sugar, water and flowers), add elderflower sparkling water and a slice of cucumber or a twist of lemon or lime – or all three. “You get this fresh flavor with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties,” she says.

TO LEARN MORE about what Azevedo is making or get updates about workshops she is hosting in Salinas, follow her on instagram.com/aranyani