If you love making summer drinks like shrubs or autumn favorites like Dandelion Wine, now's the time to start thinking about it!

I have just the book for you.

It’s called Quench.

This must-have guide was written by Asheville author Ashley English. Quench has delectable drink-ables for every occasion (and don’t worry, most of them can be prepared quickly!). 

Asheville supports its authors, so every summer people pile into the Asheville Herbiary looking for the ingredients for Ashley’s Root Beer.

We decided to make it super-simple for you to enjoy this classic cola. This year the making's easy; we've shared her recipe with you below and we've put all the herbs in one bag for you!

Click here to grab the exact blend Ashley recommends for her Root Beer (you'll only need to add fresh ginger, sugar, and water).

• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger root
• 1 tablespoon dried sarsaparilla root
• 1 tablespoon chopped dried sassafras root
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped dried licorice root
• 1/2 tablespoon dried burdock root or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh
• 1/2 tablespoon dried wintergreen leaves
  
• 4 star anise
• 4 cups brown sugar
• sparking water and ice, to serve
  

Combine the water, ginger, sarsparilla, sassafras, licorice, burdock, wintergreen, and star anise in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered or 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the sugar until the granules fully dissolve. Cover and steep until cooled to room temperature (this may take up to 2 hours). Strain the concentrate through a fine-mesh sieve placed atop a quart-size container. Compost solids.

Transfer the concentrate to a lidded container, and store in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, pour about 2 to 3 tablespoons into a 12-ounce glass. Add ice, top off with sparkling water, and stir gently. Use within 4 to 6 months.

Makes 4 cups concentrate.

Reprinted with permission. © Ashley English.

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On Herbiary owner Maia Toll's blog:

• Come into Communion: Since I'm working on Book Number 2, I revisited one of my favorite posts of all time. Come chop wood and carry water with me (plus, take the quiz if you haven't already!).
  
• 3 Signs You're Ignoring Your Intuition: Ask yourself these 3 questions if your head isn't listening to your heart or the inner-knowing of your body.
  
• What Is Mother Earth Saying? A Shocking and Unexpected Earth Day Message from the Big Mamma: My observations may shock you. How do you tune into Earth?