Drinks with healthy benefits

Tequila sunrise

(tequila, orange juice, grenadine)
Orange juice is a fantastic source of vitamin C and potassium and a great way to keep away the scurvy. Citrus also offers protection from mouth and stomach cancers. An orange has over 230 different good guys fighting the good fight, with anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and blood clot inhibiting properties, as well as strong antioxidant effects. The agave plant from which tequila is made has health benefits is known to be a relaxent as well as be low in cholesterol. Unfortunately, any benefits from the plant are lost when distilled in alcohol. Ah, well.

The Loft, Sydney

Hot Toddy

(hot water, whisky, honey, lemon, a little bit of butter)
The perfect drink to cure what ails you, it's as effective for a common cold as it is a damaged soul and is as good as a woollen blanket. There are several ingredients in a Hot Toddy with benefits. Aside from the whisky to kill the bugs and numb the throat (and the senses), there's lemon juice for vitamin C and also to speed the metabolism and bring down a temperature. And honey is full of vitamin B and is a natural antiseptic, which is why it's so good for sore throats.

3 Weeds, Rozelle

Gin and tonic

(gin, Indian tonic water)
Contrary to popular belief, tonic water isn't good for you. Filled with sugar, it's actually the opposite. The good news is quinine - the active ingredient in tonic - is incredibly good for you, and the ingredient that gives tonic that bitter taste. A white powder from the bark of the cinchona tree that is found in the Andes mountain range of Ecuador and Peru, it's great for reducing fever and was the first anti-malarial drug ever used. It was very popular back in the days of colonial India and the addition to tonic was the fizzy that made Schweppes famous.

East Village, Darlinghurst

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