This week on We Dig Plants, Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Kreig delve into ethno-botany with Dr. Ina Vandebroek, Ethnomedical Research Specialist at the Institute of Economic Botany at New York Botanical Garden. They discuss the role plants play in medicine and how in other cultures herbal remedies and traditional healing methods are trusted more than conventional health care. Learn more more about ethnobotany, immigrant health and more on a very informative episode of We Dig Plants. This episode was sponsored by Barterhouse Wines.

"In a 2005 study on Dominican ethnomedicine that was financed by the National Institute of Health we discovered that 80% of the people tested believed that there were health conditions that a medical doctor does not understand and cannot cure and that's why they are using herbal remedies."

"The majority of the population in the Dominican Republic believes that The Evil Eye exists."

-- Dr. Ina Vandebroek on Ethnomedical Research Specialist at the Institute of Economic Botany at New York Botanical Garden on We Dig Plants

This episode of Unfiltered finds Erin Fitzpatrick returning from a brief hiatus and joining Brian DiMarco for a tasting of Châteauneuf-du-Pape at the top of the show. Fresh off of a trip from a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, Erin gives us a primer on mezcal and tequila. and the difference in their signature ingredients, agave, as well as the process in which they are created. The conversation continues on to the subject of online wine retailers which seem to still be burgeoning in today's economic times though in turn hurting local wine retailers. Finally get a preview of next week's episode and get in the Turkvember spirit as Erin and Brian give hints as to some of their favorite Thanksgiving wine pairings. This episode is sponsored by The Barterhouse.

This week on Unfiltered, Erin Fitzpatrick & Brian DiMarco sit down and chat with Piet van Leijenhorst, Bols Master Distiller, about his Bols Genever. Learn more about the overlooked flavored white whiskey and learn what sets it apart from other spirits. Find out why genever should not be used as a gin substitute and how it can best be utilized in cocktails. Unfiltered is brought to you by The Barterhouse.

"Genever is a categeroy on its own. It was copied by the English somewhere in the 1800's, but they couldn't truly copy genever so they made gin. The difference between gin and genever are the botanicals. You can hardly drink gin straight, but genever is perfect to drink straight."

--Piet van Leijenhorst, Bols Master Distiller on Unfiltered

"If genever must be categorized, it's white whiskey with botanicals."

--Tal Nadari of Lucas Bols on Unfiltered