Aron - Zen and tonic: savory and fresh cocktails for the enlightened drinker

Copyright 2016 by Julia Aronov Photographs by Gyorgy Papp All rights reserved For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, The Countryman Press, 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110 For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact W. W. Norton Special Sales at or 800-233-4830 Book design by Faceout Studio, Paul Nielsen The Countryman Press www.countrymanpress.com A division of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110 www.wwnorton.com The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows: Aron, Jules, author.

Zen and tonic : savory and fresh cocktails for
the enlightened drinker / Jules Aron. pages cm Includes index. ISBN 978-1-58157-307-7 1. Cocktails. I. Title.

TX951.A6765 2016 641.87'4dc23 2015031175 ISBN 978-1-58157-591-0 (e-book)

Nothing warms my heart like a table full of my favorite people sharing a flavorful meal and a few delicious drinks. I love it so much, that I do it for a living. I am a lifestyle and nutrition coach and The Healthy Bartender. By combining my years of food and beverage industry experience with my passion for healthy ingredients, I create fun, simple, and delicious ways for you to live your best life ever. Like infusing nutritious ingredients back into your life one delicious drink at a time. And thats what this book is all about.

So you can go ahead, grab some friends and loved ones, share a great meal, and actually drink to your health!

Drinking to good health might sound like an oxymoron, but a closer look at the history of spirits shows that alcohol has been used for over 1,000 years as the most efficient medium for delivering the medicinal properties of plants into our bloodstream. Healing ailments has always been at the root of cocktail culture. In fact, restorative cocktails were originally created in early pharmacies and apothecaries as early as the 16th century. The earliest-known pharmacist-prepared tinctures, bitters, elixirs, and tonics were made with herbs, flowers, fruits, and yes, even vegetables laced with alcohol, which preserved their healing properties. These potions were custom made, using botanicals grown right in the apothecaries to ensure freshness and potency, then shaken or stirred and given to the patient as a prescription. These restorative cocktails served people well, curing ailments ranging from an upset stomach to scurvy.

In fact, what is simply known to modern cocktail lovers as a gin-and-tonic was first introduced by the British East India Company to prevent malaria among its soldiers in India. It wasnt until 1906 that the government got involved and began to move alcohol-based cocktails out of pharmacies and into the cocktail bar, where their curative qualities became an afterthought.

I grew up drinking some very distinctive tonics every morning, thanks to my dad. He brewed herbal concoctions regularly to help strengthen my immunity. Although I didnt care much for them at the time, I did develop a strong appreciation for the health benefits of nutrient-rich herbs, spices, fruits, flowers, and vegetables. Since then, Ive been playing hard to combine nutritious foods and boozy concoctions to create delectable recipes for health that keep food and life fun.

So, get ready to experience the healing art of the cocktail that I like to call Zen and Tonic. Stocking your home bar should be a fun and exciting venture. After all, youll be using it to make many delicious libations from this book and beyond. For that reason, Ive kept my suggestions and recommendations easy, affordable, and readily available. In The Fundamentals (ingredients, all the products I choose have no artificial colors or flavors, high-fructose corn syrup, or refined sugar. Be sure to check out my sections on natural sweeteners, flavored syrups, and infused liquor recipes, which well use in the beverages.

And then its on to the cocktail recipes! Youll also find a Resources section at the back of the book with a more comprehensive list of websites to help you source all the extras you might not find locally.

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