BA Brad's Classic Tonic

Alright guys, so over here in the Northeast

the cold season is amongst us and

I came up with a little drink a few years ago

to add as a immune system maintenance, kind of health tonic,

and you can find it at bonappetit.com.

It's called BA Brad's Health Tonic.

Let's erase that one.

(lively music)

Alright first I start with two limes.

Halve them.

I like to squeeze those in first,

just adds a nice liquid base at the bottom

for mixing the rest of the ingredients.

I always throw a little chunk in for good measure.

I use a little sprig of fresh rosemary.

They call it bruising, I just give it a little twist,

and rub with my finger, and that helps open up

the cells and release some of the natural oils,

and the flavor of the herb.

Mint, same with that, just a little bruising.

Pop that right in.

And then I throw tarragon,

same thing, bruised up.

You can use any herb really.

Those three I tend to like the most.

A little super echinacea

and again these are all just natural extracts.

American ginseng, what that does is gives you a little,

it's like a natural energy.

It gives you the same kind of feeling as caffeine

but without the crash.

And then the last one here is digestive bitters,

it's just a blend of different whole roots,

and different flowers,

and it's just a natural extract I put in there too.

And then the last one,

is the black elderberry syrup

and that already has some vitamin C in it,

some echinacea, and it adds a little bit

of sweetness too from the black elderberry.

Some brands have a little honey in it

and a little apple cider vinegar,

all those are fine.

This one is just straight cranberry juice,

100% natural, not a blend.

It's a little more expensive, but I find it to be worth it,

and yeah, put a few tablespoons of that in.

And now just give it a good mix,

and then you can either top it off with seltzer,

or just still water, I prefer still water but,

whatever you're into, and that's it.

What I like to do is drink half,

and then fill it up with water again,

and just kind of keep it going until

there's not much flavor left.

So, that's the tonic.

Quick, simple, and effective.

Delicious.