Welcome to our series, Cool Brands Doing Cool Things, where we get a behind the scenes look at the innovation, products and development, business practices, and more from these impactful brands.
Here are GenTwenty, we are no strangers to trying new wellness products, brands, and supplements. We almost consider it a hobby at this point, let’s be honest. When I learned about Goldthread Tonics, I was immediately intrigued.
Goldthread Tonics, a brand synonymous with wellness and vitality, has built a range of meticulously crafted herbal drinks (aka tonics) designed to elevate your daily routine. Infused with the healing power of botanicals. And the flavors are unbelievable.
Whether you’re seeking a natural energy boost, a moment of relaxation, or simply a delicious and nutritious drink, Goldthread Tonics has something for everyone.
We had the opportunity to interview the brand’s founder William Siff to explore the world of Goldthread Tonics, uncovering the secrets of their ingredients, the philosophy behind their creations, and how they can enrich your life.
1. What inspired the creation of Goldthread Tonics, and what sets you apart in the wellness industry?
In my years of running an herb farm and busy retail apothecary and operating as a clinician, I saw thousands of people seeking out medicinal plants to help with the same basic root causes: sleep, stress, digestion, immunity, hydration, energy, and nutrition. It became clear people were interested in the potential benefits medicinal plants could offer in support of these issues; however, there wasn’t a lot of great info available about how to properly use them.
To address this need, I began to formulate teas, tonics, and elixirs in the pharmacy that would address these concerns and that could be generally used by anyone. As these formulations grew in popularly, I noticed clients purchasing in bulk and incorporating these medicinal plant beverages into their primary healthcare strategy. For me, it was important to create blends that tasted delicious and incorporated the most efficacious herbs from the best possible sources. These became the prototypes for what would later become Goldthread Tonics. I thought, let’s bottle this and see if we can scale it up and reach more people with the benefits of medicinal plants.
I’d seen how the supplement industry had created a lot of confusion, with people purchasing supplements but not understanding how to properly incorporate them into their lives. That’s part of why I decided to enter the beverage space — there weren’t any products like this harnessing the power of medicinal plants to serve a practical and effective function while also tasting really good.
As a clinical herbalist I was uniquely positioned to be able to bring a product like this to market. I’d noticed over the years that the beverage aisle had begun to serve the same purpose as the supplement aisle, with people turning to functional beverages to support their health.
The beauty of these beverages is that there are no barriers to trying them: they’re convenient and widely available at an accessible price point, refreshingly delicious, and safe and effective for anyone to try. The benefits of medicinal plants accumulate when you enjoy them consistently, and our Tonics are the perfect vehicle for delivering universally beneficial medicinal plants in a tasty, simple way on a regular basis.
2. Can you tell us about the sourcing and selection process for your ingredients? How do you ensure their quality and sustainability?
From the beginning, the sourcing and quality of our ingredients was a high priority. Having been an herb grower and clinical herbalist, I have an in-depth understanding of quality and sourcing issues.
If something is going to be efficacious and taste good, the ingredients must come from the right place where the growing conditions, harvesting, processing, and shipping is handled meticulously so the end product has the highest concentration of medicinal compounds.
The curation of medicinal plant ingredients has been a specialty of mine as an ethnobotanist, and I took complete responsibility, sourcing many plants from trusted partners I’d worked with for decade whose ethics and sourcing mentality aligned with my own.
I also sought and developed new sources, visiting the regions where these plants have ethnobotanical origins and have been grown and utilized by the local cultures for thousands of years. I’ve put my hands in the soil and seen the plants we use thriving in the fields and forests. There is no substitute for this hands-on experience.
3. Goldthread Tonics is known for their unique flavors and functional benefits. How do you develop these recipes, and what factors do you consider in their formulation?
The primary consideration I always have when developing Tonic formulations is that they serve a broad range of universally beneficial functions and benefits.
For example, everyone could use help with improvement of their digestive, nervous system, and immune health or with supporting energy levels and stress resilience. Because of my background in Ayurvedic medicine, Chinese medicine, and clinical herbalism, I have a deep understanding of the clinical applications of plant medicine and know how to formulate something with synergy in mind.
In our Tonics, the formula is greater than the sum of its parts. To get results, you need an understanding of how to formulate and what concentration of herbs are required to get a result. I, of course, also want to make sure it tastes good so there’s no reason someone won’t consume it on a regular basis because, to get the best results, you should be consuming medicinal plants on a regular basis.
All the medicinal plants that are in these Tonics are appropriate for daily use. They’re nutritious extensions of our diet, and in many of the cultures they originate from, these plants are elements of everyday diet and lifestyle. We’ve take the guess work out of incorporating medicinal plants into your daily life. Just grab a Tonic, and you’re good to go!
4. How does Goldthread Tonics support sustainability and ethical practices in its production and packaging?
In terms of sustainable packaging, it was important to us to use recyclable glass bottles rather than plastics so we can do our part to minimize our environmental impact.
Though our business, we’re also supporting the tradition of growing medicinal plants around the world and helping to preserve the cultural traditional of cultivating these medicinal plants, which are critical for healthy ecosystems. By creating economic value for these plants, we can help sustain culture and retain ethnobotanical wisdom about how to use medicinal plants and their importance, giving people a reason to invest in relationship with their environment.
Beyond that, we’ve invested in generative relationships with many of our supplier partners. In Japan, we partner directly with The Matcha Factory, a joint venture between Matcha Organic Japan (MOJ) and LEAF Co., Ltd. to source our organic, ceremonial-grade matcha. Matcha Organic Japan is a collective of young entrepreneurs from farming families who are carrying on the traditional matcha blending techniques while incorporating sustainable, all-natural, and organic practices to ensure tea farms will continue to thrive for generations. Tencha tea leaves are painstakingly ground in a traditional stone mill to create an ultrafine matcha powder. LEAF Co. builds solar panel arrays on MOJ’s tea farms in place of the traditional cloth shading. The solar panels both shade the tea, concentrating L-theanine in the leaves, and offset the factory’s power needs.
Goldthread’s Kava comes from a remote village in the highlands of central Fiji where kava has been cultivated for generations. When we met met this community, they had not been commercially producing or exporting their kava. We partnered with the collective of Kava farmers in this village to support them to build a commercial business. Through their partnership with Goldthread, the farmers were able to build a processing facility, purchase a work truck, and fund other critical infrastructure improvements. In addition, Goldthread’s financial support has impacted the broader community by funding study abroad scholarships and resourcing the local school to purchase books, computers, and other educational materials. The strain of Kava cultivated here was uniquely developed for optimal nervous system support and is both sustainably and organically grown. You’ll find it in our Instant Chill Tonic Shot.
While famous for its lavender fields, Southern, France has another treasured culinary flower: the linden tree. Linden trees have been an essential part of the culture in this region for centuries, but in recent years French linden growers have struggled to keep producing because they can’t compete with the prices of the mass-produced linden flower grown in China. Through our partnership with a local French linden grower, Nasha, she has been able to develop and scale her own export business, create a local co-op of over a dozen other linden harvesters, and reinvigorate the local linden economy. The linden grown in Southern, France is native to the environment and responsibly farmed, resulting in the highest quality linden available. You can find it in our Lavender Bliss and Green Minerals Tonics.
The Sparta region of Greece boasts an incredible climate for sourcing native Mediterranean plants that develop concentrated essential oils under the warmth of the Mediterranean sun. Goldthread works with a local collective of farmers who hand-harvest mountain-grown lemon verbena, chamomile, nettles, and other native botanicals. This growing collective takes responsibility for the entire supply chain from seed to export shipping. They are stewards of the land, focused on sustainable practices and continuing agricultural education for the younger generations who will carry on the tradition of synergistically living on and cultivating the land. You can find these ingredients in our Green Minerals, Lavender Bliss, Elderberry Defense, and Turmeric Radiance Tonics.
Granada’s Belmont Estate preserves the traditional regenerative farming practices used for centuries. The 17th century estate is a CERES-certified organic farm. On the farm, no pesticides or fertilizers are used, and composting and vermiculture are employed to assist with soil preservation. To mitigate the environmental impact of agricultural activities, Belmont Estate maintains forested areas with pruning and replanting to ensure the health of the ecosystem and biodiversity. You can find mace in our Turmeric Radiance Tonic.
5. Can you share any upcoming products or initiatives that Goldthread Tonics is excited about?
Goldthread Tonic Shots are a recent innovation for the brand. Our 2 oz Tonic Shots are made in the same way as our Tonics, but they’re more concentrated so you can experience the benefits immediately. Their size makes them ideal for throwing in your gym bag or bringing on a plane.
Our Instant Chill Tonic uses Kava Kava along with a carefully curated blend of herbs and spices to facilitate an instantly calming mood. Our Immune Boost Tonic Shot includes elderberry, acai, amla berry and other immune-activating plants. And our Pure Energy Shot is the perfect pick-me-up anytime you need a balanced boost.
We’re also excited to announce that we have a new Tonic releasing later this year that is formulated to support cellular hydration, so keep an eye out for that one.
6. How does Goldthread Tonics maintain transparency and authenticity in its communication with customers?
Maintaining transparency and authenticity in our communication with customers is a top priority. We achieve this by being completely open and honest about the sourcing and quality of the ingredients used in our products. Each tonic is crafted with care, using only the highest quality, organic, and sustainably sourced herbs, roots, and spices.
Additionally, we provide detailed information about the benefits of each ingredient, as well as the traditional healing properties they hold. This helps us establish trust with our customers and allows them to make informed choices about their health and well-being. We also strive to engage with our audience through informative content, such as blogs, social media posts, and videos, to further educate and connect with our community.
Overall, we believe that transparency and authenticity are essential in building a strong and loyal customer base. By maintaining these values in our communication, we are able to establish a deeper connection with our audience and showcase our commitment to providing high-quality, natural products that support optimal health and wellness.
7. What challenges has Goldthread Tonics faced in the market, and how have you overcome them?
Like any entrepreneurial endeavor, the evolution of Goldthread Tonics has been an adventure with all kinds of twists and turns along the way. During our almost eight years as a brand, we’ve seen a lot of changes in the industry and to the competitive landscape.
Our biggest challenge has been keeping up with demand and scaling our sourcing, manufacturing and production while always maintaining our commitment to quality and adhering to the standards that have made our product successful from the beginning.
To create a product at scale where you’re producing fifty thousand bottles per brewing cycle and have it be the same quality as the first batch that came off the stovetop back when we were selling at the local farmers market is, and has always been, my primary objective. So far we’ve done a great job of this and are continuing to prioritize quality as we scale beyond what we ever thought possible.
Every bottle is still craft-brewed, and scaling up a process like that is challenging so we’ve sought out the right partners along the way that have the integrity, care, and attention to detail so we can always count on getting the consistent, optimal product our customers expect.
8. Looking ahead, what is the vision for Goldthread Tonics, and how do you plan to continue evolving in the wellness industry?
Our vision is to bring more plants to more people and meet new universally relevant functional needs. We’re constantly experimenting with new recipes and formulas to address other aspects of wellness such as cognitive function, libido, and athletic performance. This includes extending the product line into other formats to conveniently integrate the benefits of medicinal plants into people’s everyday lives.
Later this year we have a new Tonic launching to target cellular hydration, which is a need we’ve seen people gravitating towards. We’re grateful to have created such a loyal and authentic customer base for our products over the years, and we’re taking many of our cues going forward from feedback we get from our audience about what they appreciate about Goldthread and would like to see more of.
We’ll continue to find innovative and enjoyable ways to support our customers and friends in their health journey and partner with them in optimizing their daily wellness routines.
9. What is your personal favorite tonic to date?
Everyone always asks me this question, and unfortunately, because I formulated them all, it would be impossible to play favorites and choose just one. That being said, I go through phases where I will primarily drink one or two of them based upon how I’m feeling and what I think my body needs.
Often, this is informed by the time of year or how my lifestyle looks. For example, during the winter, I was drinking a lot of Elderberry to build strong immunity, and when I was writing my book, The Plant Medicine Protocol, our Matcha Tonic was wonderful for increased focus and cognition.
Now that it’s springtime, I’m drinking a lot of Green Minerals to get in alignment with the theme of spring cleansing. At the same time, I’m consuming a lot of salads and bitter greens in my diet right now. If I’m going through a particularly stressful period where there is a lot of work and deadlines to be accomplished, I might make sure I’m having a Lavender Bliss every night to facilitate relaxation and ease stress.
At any given moment, I’ll have different Tonics that are the current MVP in my wellness routine based on what I’m doing, how I’m feeling, and what I need.
Goldthread Tonics aren’t just about sipping on delicious beverages; they’re about embracing a lifestyle that celebrates wellness in every sip.
With their thoughtfully crafted blends of herbs, roots, and spices, these tonics offer a refreshing break from the ordinary, elevating your daily routine to something truly extraordinary.
So, whether you’re looking to boost your energy, soothe your digestion, or simply indulge in a moment of self-care, Goldthread Tonics has got you covered. With every bottle, you’re not just nourishing your body; you’re nurturing your spirit and embracing a healthier, more vibrant you. Here’s to raising our glasses to health, happiness, and the vibrant flavors of Goldthread tonics! Cheers to your wellness journey!
Make sure to check out their store locator to find Goldthread Tonics near you!
More Cool Brands Doing Cool Things:
About the Author
Nicole Booz is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of GenTwenty, GenThirty, and The Capsule Collab. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is the author of The Kidult Handbook (Simon & Schuster May 2018). She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably hiking, eating brunch, or planning her next great adventure.
Website: genthirty.com