Black Elderberry Hot Toddy – Mocktail Recipe for Winter
An Elderberry Mocktail to help you stay warm & well this winter.
Black Elderberry supplements and hot toddies are both seasonal staples. With the help of herbalist Rachelle Robinett, Gaia Herbs combined them to create a delicious herbal mocktail that can help you stay warm and feeling your best this winter. Keep reading for the scoop on its beneficial ingredients and to get the full tasty, toasty recipe.
The Main Ingredient: Black Elderberry for a Wellness Boost.
Black Elderberry are tiny but mighty: These small, bluish-purple fruits of the ‘Sambucus nigra’ plant have been used for centuries to help sustain immune health. Though traditional herbalists didn’t know exactly how they provided such support, we do today. Elderberries contain antioxidant polyphenols, specifically flavonoids, constituents that can help maintain the body’s natural defences to keep us feeling well—during immune season and all year long.
Ginger is traditionally regarded as having warming energetic properties, making it perfect in a hot toddy.* Like Black Elderberry, this subtropical plant (Zingiber officinale) is also used for immune health, though it is perhaps most widely known for its ability to help relieve occasional nausea and upset stomach.
Kava (Piper methysticum), a member of the pepper family, is traditionally used to support a calm and relaxed feeling during times of stress. At Gaia Herbs, our Kava is sustainably sourced from our trusted wildcrafting partners on the islands of Vanuatu, where the herb is said to have originated and has been used for centuries. We use only Noble varieties and only Kava root in our products, no above-ground parts. If you’re feeling a little frazzled.
This recipe starts with an herbal toddy concentrate, which can be used to make multiple beverages, the exact number of which depends on how much you like per glass. You can sip on this mocktail any time of day to warm up and support your overall good health.* Or, in those times when you occasionally overindulge, consider it a post-meal herbal helping hand.*
Ingredients
• 230ml water
• 1+ cup fresh or frozen blueberries (plus any dried for garnish, if you like)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (+/- ground cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 4 tbsp fresh orange juice
• ~2 tbsp raw honey (or to taste)
• Ginger roots liquid extract or ginger crushed (4 dropperfuls, or about 2 droppers per final serving)
• Gaia Herbs Black Elderberry Syrup Extra Strength if you prefer (1 serving for each final drink)
• Kava root liquid extract (1 serving per glass, optional)
• Cinnamon stick, orange wedges and dried orange, etc. for garnish (optional)
Instructions
1. To make the herbal toddy concentrate:
• Add water, blueberries, cinnamon (and any additional spices), vanilla, and orange juice to a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, and let it simmer lightly for 10 minutes.
• Then, mash and/or whisk blueberries well.
• Remove from heat and let cool to drinking temperature.
• Stir in honey and ginger extract.
• Strain into a serving container. (A French press works well, too!)
2. To each serving glass:
• Optional: Rim with orange wedge.
• Sprinkle in some dried blueberries.
• Add desired amount of herbal toddy concentrate to each glass.
• Add one serving Black Elderberry Tonic or Black Elderberry Syrup.
• Add Kava extract if using.
• Garnish with cinnamon stick, dried orange, or otherwise (optional). Enjoy!
