By JILL K. McDONALD

NILES, Mich. — Fernwood organizers are excited to welcome back four-time New York Times bestselling author Amy Stewart.

In her latest book, “The Drunken Botanist,” Stewart explores the odd, unusual and surprisingly common plants that have produced the world’s greatest spirits.

The book is a concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology and mixology–with more than 50 drink recipes and growing tips for gardeners.

“The Drunken Botanist” was actually inspired by a bottle of gin Stewart’s friend received. The friend who was not a gin drinker and did not know what to do with it.

“I launched into this diatribe about how gin should be fascinating to anybody who is interested in plants, because there are so many strange and diverse plans to go into a bottle of gin — Juniper, which is a requirement if you’re going to call it gin, but also citrus, lots of herbs and spices and the grains that the alcohol is distilled from,” Stewart said. “We got to talking about the plants that go into all the bottles behind the bar, and at some point I said, you know, somebody should write a book about that!

Stewart’s latest book is a follow-up to the New York Times bestseller “Wicked Bugs” and “Wicked Plants.” She also has written “Flower Confidential”, “The Last Bookstore in America”, “The Earth Moved” and “From the Ground Up.”

Her first book was published in 2001.

Stewart has written for the New York Times, The Washington Post and many other newspapers and magazines. She is also the co-founder of the popular blog GardenRant.

She lives in Eureka, California, with her husband Scott Brown. They own an antiquarian bookstore called Eureka Books and tends a flock of unruly hens in their backyard.

To meet Amy Stewart in person, Fernwood Botanical Garden & Nature Preserve in Niles, Michigan will be offering two special opportunities on Oct. 11:

Botanical Mixer at 6 p.m. — This is an exclusive opportunity for visitors to meet and mingle with Amy Stewart while they enjoy a botanically-inspired cocktail created by master mixologist, Cody Allee. Admission to the following presentation and a free copy of The Drunken Botanist complements the experience. Cost is $125 per person.

The Drunken Botanist at 7:30 p.m. — Hear the author discuss this fascinating concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology, and mixology. Enjoy live music while sampling spirits from three local distilleries: Journeyman Distillery, 18 Vodka and Indiana Whiskey Company. Cost is $50 per person.

Stewart last appeared at Fernwood in Autumn 2012 to present a program on her book “Wicked Plants.”

Benjamin Futa, Head of Horticulture and Grounds at Fernwood, said, “Amy’s latest book is another of her masterworks on the botanical world. Her material is well researched and creatively presented. Amy’s program in 2012 was high energy, entertaining and insightful and we’re excited she’s returning.”

The upcoming event at Fernwood, “will be a high-energy event that exposes people to plants in a new way – through the lens of the many beverages we may take for granted in our everyday lives,” Futa said.

Stewart loves her live speaking engagements and says it is the fun part of her job.

“The hard work is done, and now I get to travel around and go to interesting places and meet new people. I’ve been all over the country to all kinds of places I might not have otherwise ever had a chance to go. I like everything about it honestly,” Stewart said.

To register for Amy Stewart’s events, visit Fernwood’s website, www.fernwoodbotanical.org. For questions, call Fernwood at (269) 695-6491.

Registration deadline is Oct. 7, though registrations will be accepted until October 10 if there is still availability.

To get in touch with the author, visit AmyStewart.com. For more information on her latest book, go to http://drunkenbotanist.com.