Mother’s Garden | A Healthy Cocktail or Alcohol-Free Drink Made with Brighter Tonic

The Mother’s Garden is a drink chockfull of fresh, healthy ingredients. It can be made into a healthy cocktail with the addition of vodka or gin, or it can be enjoyed as an alcohol-free drink that’s sure to boost your spirits.

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Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

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There are a lot of cocktails out there that have fresh, healthy ingredients. Gone are the days of heavily-processed syrups and mixes– the American imbiber’s become wiser. We’ve been enlightened to the dangers of trans fat, artificial sweeteners, and pesticides, and we eschew ingredients like artificial coloring and high-fructose corn syrup in favor of those found in nature. Research done by the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2019 shows that Americans are slowly getting better at eating healthy, although this article written by Men’s Health reveals that there’s still a lot of room for improvement.

I think the majority of people do want to eat healthier. So what’s a cocktail-lover to do? Drinking less alcohol is always a good idea. But instead of removing alcohol altogether, there’s another alternative: mix your alcohol with fresh, healthy ingredients.

This is becoming a lot easier for the American consumer thanks to conscientious companies. There are several that forgo artificial coloring, GMO ingredients, and high-fructose corn syrup like my favorite grenadine company, Bar Smith. Having these kinds of syrup and mixer alternatives is a huge step in the direction of a healthier cocktail. But it doesn’t make a cocktail healthy. You’re spared from consuming fake junk, but you aren’t consuming ingredients with any health benefits.

Enter Brighter Tonic. A beverage that actually delivers the good stuff.

Brighter Tonic reached out to me a few months ago to see if I’d be interested in trying their product. A quick Google search of the company led me to a speedy reply: YES, PLEASE!

Brighter Tonic is a sparkling apple cider vinegar beverage. Apple cider vinegar is known for its acetic acid which promotes healthy digestion and improves mineral absorption. It’s made with raw organic apple cider vinegar, oils from plants, and maple syrup.

With Brighter Tonic accounting for 50% of the volume in the Mother’s Garden recipe, you can see why I can truthfully call this a healthy cocktail.

When I took my first sip of Bright (which I captured on an Instagram story), I was really surprised. The word “tonic” in the name made me think it’d taste like tonic water. But it actually tastes similar to kombucha. Ahh. Tonic as in the true definition of the word: a restorative drink that invigorates or strengthens.

I’m a kombucha fanatic and instantly fell in love with this new, healthy elixir.

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen me posting about this company. I actually posted a recipe quite similar to Mother’s Garden on an Instagram story. But I’ve been waiting for the day that Brighter Tonic launched their online sales because it didn’t feel right to rave about a fantastic recipe when the general populous had no means to buy the star ingredient.

Friends, that day has come! *cue Hallelujah chorus* You can now get Brighter Tonic shipped right to your door! They have three flavors: lemon lime, blood orange, and lemon ginger turmeric. I suggest getting the sampler pack so you can try them all. I can’t decide which one I like the most so it’s a good thing I’ve got another sampler on the way.

The point of this post has kinda been to talk about making a healthy cocktail, but you can certainly leave the alcohol out and make it a truly healthy beverage. I’ve made several alcohol-free drinks with Brighter. There are many days when I want something fun but I don’t want a cocktail. The bright (no pun intended) taste of Brighter means you won’t be left with a flavorless mocktail. And all of my alcohol-free friends said THANK YOU.

Perhaps the BEST news in this article is that if you use the code GIRL&TONIC20 between Monday 8-3-20 and Friday 8-7-20, you’ll get 20% off your online order of Brighter Tonic. How awesome is that?! Now you really do have to try it. I mean, it’s discounted. Who doesn’t love saving money?

The reason I’m calling this healthy cocktail or alcohol-free drink Mother’s Garden is two-fold:

1) I first made this recipe at my mom’s house using ingredients from her garden. (She’s actually got a great garden blog, with helpful articles about two of the ingredients in Mother Garden’s: cucumber & basil)

2) This is an alcohol-free drink that my mom is actually able to enjoy. You see, my mom is on a strict AIP (auto-immune protocol) diet due to some autoimmune health issues. This means that a lot of commercial products are off-limits to her, making it tricky to find mixers that agree with her body. However, since Brighter Tonic uses maple syrup as a sweetener, it falls on her “good list”! Big thank you to Brighter for using real, high-quality ingredients. You really stand out.

If you try the Mother’s Garden, or even just Brighter, let me know what you think in the comments below!

Ingredients for a Mother’s Garden Healthy Cocktail or Alcohol-Free Drink

• 1 1/2 oz gin or vodka (omit for alcohol-free or to be AIP-compliant*)
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz honey simple syrup or pure maple syrup
• 1-2 slices of cucumber
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves
• 4 oz lemon-lime Brighter Tonic

*Read this article if you’re curious to see if and when alcohol can be consumed on an AIP diet. Before imbibing, be sure to check with your physician, too.

How to Make a Mother’s Garden Healthy Cocktail or Alcohol-Free Drink

Add the cucumber slices and lime juice to a cocktail shaker. Muddle well, using a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon. Then, add the basil and gently muddle. Add the alcohol (or not), honey simple syrup, and ice. Shake well. Strain into a glass filled with ice. Top the rest of the glass off with the Brighter Tonic. Stir to incorporate. Garnish with a basil spring and a couple slices of lime and cucumber.