Elixir's Tonics and Teas

Indeed, the Tinseltown connection is often pretty blatant in Elixir's, with respectful retellings of Eastern legends sharing space with "the best post-award-show-party antidote in town." But to dismiss Elixir's Tonics and Teas as an I Ching by way of Trader Vic's would be to ignore its instructional aspects. Appendices brim with advice on choosing and using herbs (the alphabetical glossary, including contraindications for each entry, is particularly valuable), and a list of online and mail-order herbalists and merchants provides a solid resource.

Novices may want to first try a couple of recipes with fewer ingredients; herbal tinctures can be costly, and some entries call for four or five different ones (in addition to freshly juiced vegetables). The Chocolate Mint Relaxer contains chocolate milk, peppermint extract, and a dropper of kava kava; in their Sweet Memory Tea you'll find green tea, Stevia sweetener, and a dropper of gingko biloba. There's even a section on "Sex Tonics," featuring, appropriately enough, a concoction containing Avena sativa (wild oats). Handsome, informative, and glossy as a starlet's eight-by-ten headshot, Elixir's Tonics and Teas, like the subtitle says, comes packed with "invigorating tonics for the mind, body, and spirit." --Tony Mason

Product Description
Since ancient times herbs have been prized for their health-enhancing properties, and the therapeutic benefits of herbs, from kavakava to ginseng and ginko biloba have been embraced by Americans in growing numbers.

At the zenlike oasis of Elixir, West Hollywood’s hottest watering hole, licensed herbalists dispense a tempting array of refreshing smoothies, energizing tonics, and soothing teas that deliver all the benefits of tonic herbs in a most delicious way. In Elixir’s Tonics and Teas, they share their recipes so that everyone can benefit from signature blends like Greet the Day Tea and Yin from the Cold Tonic.

Elixir’s philosophy is to create a comfortable blend of Eastern and Western practices and tastes. Each efficacious blend of herbs is combined with juice and other flavorful ingredients so these smoothies, sodas, and teas, and even cocktails are delightful quaffs that can be enjoyed anytime. Boost your system before a workout with a glass of Energy Today Tonic, or rebalance the body after an illness with Taming the Dragon; prepare your mind to focus with a cup of Brainy Day Chai, or calm yourself after a difficult week with a Steady in Spirit.

Helpful guidelines from Elixir’s trained staff make choosing the right tonic for nourishing mind, body, or spirit simple, and a comprehensive glossary of herbal products takes the guesswork out of using these beneficial plants.

Elixir’s Tonics and Teas is an irresistible introduction to the power of herbal infusions and a toast to general well being.