With the abundance of autumn comes the not-so-dire dilemma of what to do with all that produce. Whether harvesting from your own garden or being given shopping bags of food from neighbors (are you sure you don’t want more zucchini?) to the overflowing bins at farmers markets, the bounty of food and the task of eating and preserving it all can be daunting. If you’re tired of pie, salsas, and squash soup, why not give cocktails a try?
We’ve seen by now that the world of mixology is limitless, where imaginative experts are able to craft something balanced and creative with almost anything, from marjoram to mushrooms. By basing concoctions on fall vegetables and fruits, creators add other levels to drinks, making them savory, herbal, and, not in the least, nutritious. Who doesn’t want to don a halo while sipping their spirits?
Sean Palmer, the founder of Sip and Stir, a Park City-based hospitality service, forged his formative years in the restaurant business at what most consider a pioneer in the local farm-to-table movement of the early 2000s, aptly named The Farm. When Palmer applied there, one of the interview questions was “what’s an heirloom tomato?”
Growing up in Maryland, Palmer spent a lot of time in his grandmother’s half-acre garden. “She gave us two buckets,” he remembers. “One for picking and one to sit on.” A marketing job brought him to Park City in 2006, but he soon adopted the favored local lifestyle—skiing all day and working restaurant jobs at night. He was 27 years old, and when he landed the job at The Farm, everything changed.
“This is where my story gets started,” he says, recalling moving up from a bartender to being mentored by sommelier Joey Lopaka, to receiving a coveted position in San Francisco at Michelin‑star restaurant Spruce, then back to Park City in 2016 to run the wine and cocktail program at Handle. This is the short version, but along the way, Palmer became a “weapon in beverage management,” acquiring top-rated experiences and bringing all of this to Sip n’ Stir, his company that brings elevated wine-tasting and cocktail experiences into people’s homes. “We execute the highest level of service as possible,” Palmer explains.
Palmer created two original cocktails for this issue, using his years of expertise and passion for working with all organic, handmade ingredients. Enjoy!
Heirloom Tomato Martini
• 2 oz. Alpine Gin (or vodka)
• 1 oz. clarified tomato water (recipe below)
• 1/4 oz. dry vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura orange bitters
To prepare, stir, then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a salt and pepper rim or tajine.
Clarified Tomato Water
• 4-6 large, ripe heirloom tomatoes.
• Cut into small sections and place into a bowl with salt.
• Let sit for 30 minutes.
• Place cut tomatoes into a Vitamix and blend until chunky.
• It’s important to not overblend.
• Pour tomatoes into a fine strainer lined with a coffee filter over a bowl.
• Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
• Do not press on the tomatoes. Let gravity do all the work!
Butternut Squash Old Fashioned
• 2 oz. Alpine Whiskey
• 1/2 oz. butternut squash reduction
• 2 dashes of walnut bitters
To prepare, stir and then strain into a bucket glass. Garnish with dehydrated orange and a cinnamon stick.
Butternut Squash Reduction
• Cube 2 cups of fresh butternut squash.
• Coat the cubes in maple syrup and place on a baking sheet with rosemary and cinnamon sticks.
• Bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees.
• Add squash to a pot and mash with potato masher.
• Add 1 cup of water.
• Add 1 cup of brown sugar.
• Add 1 vanilla bean.
• Bring to a low simmer.
• Cover and let sit for one hour.
• Double strain into a bowl and allow to cool in the fridge.
If you enjoy these cocktails, embark on your own adventure of shaking things up with your garden goods. Since the vegetable-cocktail trend took off in 2025, the internet abounds with recipes. As the weather cools and cozy fireside season begins, the possibilities are endless, from pumpkin bourbon eggnog to beetroot shrubs. We’ve all had a cucumber-tini, but how about a zucchini-tini? If you enjoy a Bloody Mary, experiment with Palmer’s clarified tomato water as a base for a lighter, more refreshing beverage.
