Episode 15: Ratza Chocolate
Sara Ratza loves plants.
She got into chocolate making after getting into herbal medicine, and she brings that plant wisdom and love for green, growing things to the art of chocolate making at Ratza Chocolate. Sara incorporates a variety of botanicals into her bars, including hops. Listen in as she talks about her philosophy behind using these botanical ingredients.
Beers discussed in this episode include Brighter Days Brewing Don’t Fear the Reaper and their Milk It Milk Stout series, and Franziskaner Premium Weissbier.
Chocolate bars mentioned in this episode include Ratza Hopped Citrus and Aphrodite. Both are available at ratzachocolate.com.
We also mentioned a handful of books in this episode on the use of botanical ingredients in brewing. Those were:
The Homebrewer’s Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to Making Your Own Beer from Scratch by Marika Josephson, Aaron Kleidon, and Ryan Tockstein.
Against All Hops: Techniques and Philosophy for Creating Extraordinary Botanical Beers by Butch Heilshorn
Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers: The Secrets of Ancient Fermentation by Stephen Harrod Buhner
The music for this episode was sampled from an instrumental version of the song “Valentine” written and performed by indie folk musician Anna ps from her 2016 album Umbrella. Anna p.s. conveys a sense of weariness throughout her simple yet resonant songs, but it’s a weariness that keeps a blanket of hope tucked up under its chin, even as the rain keeps falling outside the windows. You can find out more about Anna at her website.
Guests:
With a bachelor's degree in Studio Art from Indiana University, Sara Ratza has found that creating chocolate has bridged the gap between her love for the studio and culinary arts. As a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and Western Herbalist, it has become a passion to formulate unique flavors using the best beans and ingredients she can find.