We love a good cuppa tea, which makes us absolutely obsessed with a warm and cozy alcohol-free tonic. There’s no right or wrong way to make a warm beverage like this, so we generally just make one with what we’ve got on hand. If it’s water-based, we’ll be sure to add something sour or citrus - vinegar, lemon or lime, plus something sweet - honey, maple syrup, and spices. If it’s milk or nut-milk based, we generally skip the citrus and just go for the sweet and spiced. For all warm tonics, we’re sure to add a bit of sea salt. This enhances the flavor, and, some would argue,* that it makes the water easier for your body to take in.

Tonics are a great way to get your tinctures, electrolytes, and a bit of hydration in. They’re also just a good way to unwind after being in the cold or a very long day! Here’s some recipes to get you going.

ELDERBERRY CIDER

Dry, floral, spice. Kind of like an adult warmed sweet berry negroni or a dry berry cider. Very good for you! Be sure to just have one serving of the elderberries a day, they are potent!

8 oz filtered hot water

1 tablespoon concentrated elderberry juice

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

juice of 1 lemon

pinch of salt

dash of cinnamon, cayenne

IMMUNITY BLASTER

Bright, tart, sweet. Mix the turmeric and spices first with a little hot water to make a paste, then finish with water. Also nice with milk for a “golden moon milk” latte.

8 oz filtered hot water or Immunity tea

2 tablespoons of honey

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

juice of 1 lemon, lime or orange

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

couple drops of lion’s mane tincture

pinch of salt

DETOX CHAMPION

Herbal, clean, fiery. Just mix together

8 oz filtered hot water

handful of cilantro or parsley, washed and muddled

juice of 1 lemon

pinch of cayenne pepper

dash of maple syrup

dash of salt

LAVENDER MILK

Floral, calming. Mix together. You can also infuse the tea into the milk, but do so over a day or so in the fridge.

6 oz milk or alt milk

4 oz strong Tulsi tea

1 tablespoon lavender syrup or lavender sugar

dash of vanilla extract

dash of nutmeg

pinch of salt

AGUAPANELA

Sweet, energizing. A traditional Colombian drink. Mix together over heat for 20 minutes or so.

filtered hot water

sugar cane syrup to taste

juice of 1 lemon

fresh ginger, shaved

pinch of cinnamon or cinnamon stick

(dash of salt)

POLYPHENOL BLUEBERRY SHRUB

Rich, tannic. Pour a bit of boiling water over the aronia berries, add some honey and shrub, mix well, then mix in the rest.

8 oz filtered hot water

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons blueberry ginger shrub (or blueberry vinegar and some extra honey)

small handful of (frozen) aronia berries

juice of 1 lime

dash of salt