why herbal mocktails are great + recipes

roses at the former LL garden

They're delicious! That's why herbal mocktails are great.

Ok, but really -- deliciousness is important. When something is yummy, it's a lot easier to get yourself to drink it. It's also easier to get other people to drink it.

I'm not sure if you've had the experience of offering herbal tea to someone, only to have them act like you're trying to sell them drugs. People can be so sketched out by herbal tea (not you, obviously). But when you hand them a well-crafted, beautiful drink? They gladly accept.

And it's not just herb-skeptical adults. Here's a recent story from my life:

My daughter (2.5 years old) had a fever a few weeks ago. She loves bevs of all sorts, and frequently drinks herbal tea. Except when she's sick. When she's sick, she will not drink tea at all, even if I make it "for myself" and don't offer her any (which, if you know toddlers, is usually the surefire way to make them want something.)

I couldn't get her to take her herbal glycerites, and we were out of the immune support glycerites anyway.

BUT I had 2 ounces left of Wild Tonic Syrup from Bluestem Botanicals. (This is my new favorite mixer, btw. It's incredible.) The ingredients of this simple syrup are Wild Quinine, Yarrow, Elderberry, Wormwood, Goldenrod, Thyme, and a Conifer distillate. This is a blend of herbs that are very bitter, can help bring down a fever, will support immune function, and ease a cough (among other things). I.e. it's a very medicinally potent mixer.

So, I made myself a "treat bev" of seltzer + Wild Tonic syrup + a squeeze of lime + ice, and started drinking it without even mentioning it to my daughter. It was delicious.

After about two sips, she asked for the drink, and drank the whole thing.

Herbal mocktails are an effective way to get herbs into the body (yours, or your toddler's). They are excellent for compliance, or simply for keeping herbs in your daily rotation.

Mocktails open up a whole world of herbal creativity. They help you approach herbs as allies in fun and flavor. They help you drink herbs all the time. And that's the goal.

P.S. Here are two recipes I wrote for Mountain Rose Herbs: Rosemary Balsamic Oxymel and Minty Lemongrass Oxymel

Become a confident home herbalist in 4 months without memorizing anything.