In a city like L.A., where trendy cafes, workouts, and youth-revitalizing treatments constantly cycle through the ‘must-visit’ list, Lifehouse Tonics is a true breath of fresh air.
Literally. One step inside the bright, minimally decorated store and you forget that it’s located right off heavily trafficked Sunset Blvd. Air plants and succulents line the shelves, interspersed with simply packaged Lifehouse Tonic powders, and a single splash of turquoise paint decks the white walls.
But there’s a different kind of zen here—unlike other juice and tonic boutiques, where it feels like you need to buy into to the hippie-esque, ‘mystic’ stuff in order to be worthy of the powerful (and highly priced) dusts and nut milks these institutions sell, Lifehouse is welcoming.
During my visit, I saw college kids, girls in yoga clothes, dudes who worked at the tattoo parlor next door, and a couple of moms with kids walk in and order off the unfussy menu. There’s nothing to be intimidated by here, and that’s just how founders Fraser Thompson and Jack Latner imagined their place would be.
“When we started, we didn’t know much about how to source mushrooms and herbs and these amazing ingredients, but we did know through experience that they really worked,” Thompson explained. “Our goal was to bring these really healthy, beneficial, life-changing herbs to our friends and family in an accessible way.”
The best way to get skeptics to drink powdered reishi mushroom and herbs like Ashwagandha (the name literally means “smells like a horse”)? Mix them up into yummy milkshake-like drinks that taste like something you’d find at Dairy Queen but make you feel completely invincible.
Both founders found great success adding various herbs and ancient tonics into their diets. But without the help of a healer or shaman, Thompson realized that it was challenging for most people to figure out how much of each ingredient should be used, and in what combination, to achieve the best results. “All of our recipes are formulated with a specific purpose—we took care of the complicated part, which is blending the right herbs together in the right ratios, so that our customers just get to reap the benefits.”
You can head to the storefront to experience all the plant-based, sugar-free drinks yourself. Not in L.A.? Thankfully, Lifehouse Tonics sells their massively popular infusion blends on their site. They graciously shared one of their most popular recipes, the Shroom Shake, with Amodrn. Full disclosure: We picked these up for our L.A. office a few weeks ago, and we believe with 100 percent confidence that we accomplished more that afternoon than we do on even our most efficient days!
Shroom Shake
Ingredients
1 cup cold brew coffee
1/2 cup coconut, cashew, or almond milk
1 teaspoon of your favorite Lifehouse Tonics Infusion
1 tablespoon nut butter
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon mesquite
1 teaspoon cacao powder (optional)
1 frozen banana
Pinch of vanilla
