You won't need a spoonful of sugar to make these local small batch herbal tonics go down

What if you could make delicious drinks with herbs that are also good for you?

Maybe you'd call them ambrosia or some other magical word. Or, if you were Carissa and Adam Davenport, you'd name them Town Farm Tonics.

The newlyweds  have assumed a mission: producing infused syrups and vinegars that are delightful to drink. The bonus is that they are made in small batches with healthful organic herbs.

"It's made like a food," said Carissa. "Just like your grandmother made chicken soup.  There is a lot of heart in it."

Business: Hope Street 'urban trail' experiment starts Oct. 1. Some merchants say they were left out

Herbal remedies that taste great and do wonders

Carissa is a herbalist who believes that if things taste good, people will be quicker to try them. It was while she was in Fiji in The Peace Corps that she was first exposed to the concept of how herbal remedies were embraced as medicine.

Town Farm Tonics guarantee wonderful flavors in their two products, an Elderberry Syrup and Fire Cider.

Storefronts: That Pier 1 or Papa Gino's is a cannabis shop now. Marijuana is revitalizing old stores.

Elderberries have been used over the ages for immune system support, Carissa explained. What makes her recipe unique is that it is made in a traditional way, by steeping and simmering the mixture for hours to build up the flavors.

Made with elderberries and wildflower honey, she adds more flavor with cinnamon and ginger while Rose hips contribute Vitamin C. All combined it makes the tonic mineral rich.

Apple cider vinegar with a splash of horseradish helps fight congestion

Fire ciders have been around since the 1970s, to help fight congestion. They are made of apple cider vinegar and honey and their heat comes from cayenne and horseradish. Carissa has adapted it with additional organic herbs and local honey.

These herbal drinks add goodness to one's diet, said Carissa. The hope is if you enjoy something good, you won't crave bad stuff. Think subtraction by addition.

The tonics can be sipped, used as a mixer, or added to flavor food.

Jobs: Rhode Island's job market is great if you're looking for work. For employers, not so much.

How the business is growing

Town Farm Tonics has grown in a big way in the three years since the Davenports started cooking at Hope & Main, the culinary business incubator. The Westport couple has spread the word at local events. But mostly they've gone shop to shop, selling to natural food stores and small grocers and cafes.

"People really care about their health," Carissa said. "But they want things to be accessible, approachable and tasty."

"It's about joy and focusing on what makes you feel good," she said.

Adam noted that this is the small batch quality you get when you use whole dried herbs, as they do.

"You get the texture and quality and the potency," he said.

Alayne White, the founder of Alayne White, a Bristol spa, who adores Town Farm Tonics and packages them in gift sets said, "If I feel a sniffle, even the slightest, I swear by the Fire Cider as a shot in the morning," she said.

From the earth: Two new plant-based restaurants offer comfort food and much more for vegans and skeptics

The Town Farm Tonic customer "is someone who is interested in healthy insides and uses elixirs and tonics to strengthen their immune system," she said.

"The elderberry tonic is a wonderful product for people who want a cocktail but don’t want the alcohol," she added. It's also great for those who love a good vodka on the rocks with a splash of something that isn't sugary.

Elderberry Syrup and Fire Cider are the “salt and pepper” of the herbal world, reached for by all ages to stay healthy, said Carissa.

The Davenports are working on more herbal syrups and vinegars, said Adam. The goal is to develop their brand as functioning tonics and herbal concentrates.

"Right now we are working on an energizing herbal syrup that will have a little caffeine for mental energy and clarity," he said.

They've been offering it to friends and family to test. They find that putting it on ice with seltzer water is very pleasing. People are drinking it like an afternoon tea.

What's ahead: Southern fast food joint Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers wants to open in Johnston in 2023

Two cafes in nearby Massachusetts, Davoll's General Store in Dartmouth and Donut Company (DoCo) in New Bedford, buy half gallons for their food businesses.

The Davenports see that part of the business growing.

The long-term desire is to keep this a New England-based business as they build out their product line. They also hope to eventually grow their own herbs. Both have experience in agriculture.

"We want to be out in the land," Carissa said.

Town Farm Tonics is currently the two of them and a team of family and friends. But they are just now hiring their first part-time employee.

Retail prices range from $18 for an 8-ounce bottle of Elderberry Syrup to $32.for 16-ounces. Fire Cider is priced at $15 and $24, depending on the size.

You purchase them at local retailers including C+R Mercantile, Bristol; Wishing Stone Farm, Little Compton; The Green Grocer, Portsmouth; Nature's Goodness, Middletown; Urban Greens Co-Op Market, Providence and The Hen House, Chepachet. In nearby Massachusetts find them at Lee’s Market, Westport and others listed online at https://linktr.ee/townfarmtonics

Sign up here to receive my weekly newsletter, Gail's Food Feed

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Fire cider and Elderberry syrup by Town Farm Tonics are delicious