Optimist Botanicals
A husband-and-wife brand from Los Angeles, distilling botanicals with no alcohol involved at any stage.
More about Optimist BotanicalsWho they areFrequently Asked Questions
- Origin
- Los Angeles, United States
- Founded
- 2020
- Founder
- Tommy and Lisa Farr Johnstone
- Producer’s site
- optimistdrinks.com
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- Any 2 5% off
- Any 6 7% off
- Any 24 10% off
Products
- Vodka · 0.0%
United States
Optimist Botanicals Bright (500 mL)
Lemon, jasmine and lavender — citrus and sherbet with a herbal finish.
- Vegan-Friendly
$39.99 - or subscribe and save up to 5%
FREE shipping
Add to cart - Vodka · 0.0%
Vodka Set (2 × 700 mL + 1 × 500 mL)
Three vodkas, poured together, nothing hidden.
$109.99 - or subscribe and save up to 5%
FREE shipping
Add to cart
More about Optimist Botanicals
Who they are
Tommy and Lisa Farr Johnstone moved to Los Angeles and found their habits changing — farmers markets and hiking where bars used to be. What they could not find was anything worth ordering when they went out, so in January 2020 they started making it.
They spent eighteen months with a master distiller in downtown LA developing three blends, each drawn from a different part of the city and its edges: the coastline, the canyons, the desert. Ten to fifteen botanicals go into each, pulled apart by steam, vacuum and CO2 extraction rather than by soaking in spirit.
Optimist is a certified B Corp, and the founders put their weight behind a Venice non-profit working with young people experiencing homelessness.
From around the shop
If you like Optimist Botanicals
- Sparkling · 0.0%
Spain
Elivo Zero Zero Deluxe Sparkling (750 mL)
A Chardonnay sparkling in the cava mould — straw-gold, a long bead, dry enough to toast with.
- Vegan-Friendly
- Halal Certified
$28.00 - or subscribe and save up to 5%
FREE shipping
Add to cart - White · 0.0%
Italy
Princess Alternativa Bianco Dry (750 mL)
The still, dry white in the alternativa range, bottled under natural cork.
- Vegan-Friendly
- Halal Certified
$25.00 - or subscribe and save up to 5%
FREE shipping
Add to cart - Red · 0.0%
France
Pierre Chavin Pierre Zéro Prestige Merlot (750 mL)
Bodied, structure, generous notes of ripened red fruits and spices with vanilla aromas.
- Vegan-Friendly
$29.99 - or subscribe and save up to 5%
FREE shipping
Add to cart - Sparkling · 0.0%
Spain
Senorio de la Tautila Espumoso Blanco (750 mL)
A dry Spanish sparkling made the brut way, then dealcoholized.
- Vegan-Friendly
- Halal Certified
$25.00 - or subscribe and save up to 5%
FREE shipping
Add to cart
Who makes Optimist?
Tommy and Lisa Farr Johnstone, a husband and wife who started developing the range in Los Angeles in January 2020.
How is it made without alcohol?
By steam, vacuum and CO2 extraction rather than by macerating botanicals in spirit. Ethanol usually does the extracting and the preserving; here neither job falls to it.
What is in the range?
Three blends — Bright, Fresh and Smokey — each drawn from a different Los Angeles landscape.
Cocktail recipes
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