This Plant-Based Herbal Tonic Makes Dry January So Much Tastier
Since our thirsty food & drink editor’s cup runneth over, here’s a space for her to spill the tea on all of the greatest, tastiest, and trendiest sips. There's really only one thing you'll find here ... NO BAD DRINKS!
My Current Drink Crush: Sunwink Sparkling Herbal Tonics
Why This Drink Matters: With Dry January upon us, the rising sober and sober-curious movement, and all things plant-based in 2020, it's a really exciting time to be eating (and drinking!) plants. One particularly exciting subsector of this massive plant-forward movement is the herbal tonic category — wellness beverages made with herbs, spices, and adaptogens that are as delicious as they are beneficial to your health.
Enter Sunwink, a San Francisco-based, women-founded sparkling herbal tonic brand from the former marketing head of Impossible Foods (hi, Jordan!). This line of wellness beverages is crafted by herbalists with clean, simple ingredients we can all pronounce, it's much lower in sugar than most other plant-based drinks on the market, and, well ... it's really, addictively delicious.
How We Met: You know how sometimes you know someone who knows someone, and that leads to something really unintentionally fruitful? Yeah, that was the case here. I was introduced to Sunwink this past fall as a trendy new wellness drink about to roll out nationwide. When I sat down with cofounder Jordan Schenck to get the full story of how this beverage came to be, I knew this was something unique and particularly rad. This was a product hatched with the consumer's body and soul in mind, every step of the way. This wasn't a gimmicky wellness product — it was an herbal tonic meant to heal, for real.
A post shared by Sunwink (@drinksunwink) on Oct 17, 2019 at 9:45am PDT
Schenck was quite obviously no newb to the giant plant-based food and beverage category since she came to Sunwink following her work with Impossible Foods, but it was the other side of Sunwink that really stuck with me.
In the process of understanding her own body and the healing power of herbs, cofounder and CEO Eliza Timpson realized there was virtually no access to herbal remedies without spending a fortune on luxury oils and tinctures or getting lost in natural markets. Timpson began tinkering around with her own remedies at home alongside her sister, a registered herbalist, and found that she could make her own wellness beverages crafted for the needs of her own body.
Sunwink emerged, and now their line of four sparkling herbal tonics can be purchased nationwide in stores at Whole Foods, or right here online.
It should also be noted that 1% of net revenue goes back to The Sunwink Mothers Fund to “support and work with women and mother earth organizations across the world.” If that's not girl power, I don't know what is.
Tasting Notes:
Lemon-Rose Uplift: Crafted with herbs like damiana, lemon balm, and rose meant to boost mood and uplift the spirit, Lemon-Rose Uplift is light and floral with notes of rosewater and a hint of tart hibiscus. Lemon balm is an herb found in lots of herbal teas best sipped before bedtime to help you relax, so I recommend sipping this one in the late afternoon or at the end of your work day.
Turmeric Cleanse: This tonic was made with herbs like turmeric, sea buckthorn, and rosemary to clarify and invigorate your system. It's earthy, dry, and has a just-barely spicy kick at the end thanks to cayenne pepper. This tonic is naturally an anti-inflammatory, which makes it great for a post-workout beverage.
Ginger-Detox: With ingredients like ginger root, burdock, and dandelion, this tonic was crafted to detoxify and stimulate your system. Ginger is the star ingredient here, so it's slightly spicy. This is the one you should drink if you're feeling sluggish or slightly hungover.
Immunity Berry: Made with goji berry, elderberry juice, and ginger extract, this is the tonic you should sip if you're feeling under the weather. A touch of cinnamon extract goes a long way here and balances out the juicy berry notes.
Read More:
Delicious Non-Alcoholic Drinks for the Sober-Curious
These Herbal Teas Are More Relaxing Than Yoga
Seedlip is The World's First Nonalcoholic Spirit
Follow BestProducts.com on Facebook, Instagram , Twitter , and Pinterest!
You Might Also Like
