A lifetime of exposure to ayurvedic medicine and health food taught herbalist Monika Tournis as much about people as the natural ingredients that go into her new line of Herbologie Hawaiian Herbal Elixirs.

Tournis — also founder of Hawaii Nutrition Co., one of more than 70 local businesses that have earned the state Agricultural Division’s Seal of Quality — said she spent 14 years marketing nutritional supplements and noni, and got tired of seeing people scrunch up their faces when she gave them samples of noni juice, often described as tasting like “funky cheese.”

“They made that face and would ask, ‘Why did you make me try this?’ So I wanted to make something people would enjoy but that would still be healthful and serve different functions,” Tournis said.

Her line of probiotic farm-to-bottle teas deliver flavor plus active enzymes. “I believe that food is medicine, but instead of taking pills, I wanted to help people by making healthy, medicinal ingredients become part of an everyday diet,” she said.

Herbologie Hawaiian Herbal Elixirs encompass six blends, including “Mindful,” a combination of Hawaiian green tea, lemon balm and fermented organic holy basil created to enhance brain circulation and mental clarity; “Island Beauty,” full of anti- aging, antioxidant Hawaiian coffee berry and mamaki; and “Pure Serenity,” with a touch of stress-reducing lavender.

“If you go into any health food store, kombucha is everywhere, but a lot of people don’t like the vinegary taste of kombucha,” said Tournis. Her elixirs represent “the next level of fermented beverages,” she said.

“Fermented herbs are cutting edge right now. Fermentation activates enzymes and medicinal properties of herbs, breaking them down so nutrients are more easily absorbed by the body. I consider this the new food. I think everything we eat and drink should be doing something beneficial for us.”

But she said the last thing she wanted was to scare people away with something that tastes like vinegar.

She spent a year formulating her recipes, and today Herbologie Studio houses a whole ecosystem in the heart of Kakaako. Tournis and a small team source 80 percent of the studio’s herbs and botanicals from local farmers while growing those that are hard to find locally.

After harvesting and fermentation, the herbs are brewed on-site. The drinks contain no artificial flavors or preservatives. When a touch of sweetness is required, the source is organic honey or Hawaiian stevia. Distracted by a range of flavors such as organic hibiscus, ginger and passion flower, most people won’t notice that each sip is full of active enzymes said to aid digestion and immune function, among other benefits.

“I can’t make claims, but it does give you a boost,” said Tournis, whose nutrition path began in childhood, when she was exposed to her grandmother’s herbal remedies, rooted in nature-based ayurvedic medicine.

“It was kind of a joke in the family. We would dare each other to try her eye drops that contained some mint and chili pepper, but she was sought out in the community as someone who knew how to make different remedies.

“Flexy is based on one of her cold remedies, with ginger, Hawaiian turmeric, Hawaiian black pepper and organic rooibos that has antioxidant polyphenols and brings the flavors together.

“This is what I wanted, to create something enjoyable, that people drink because they like it,” Tournis said. “It’s a start.”

Herbologie Elixirs sell for about $4 for 16 ounces at Herbologie Studio, 318 Kamani St., Down to Earth stores, Mana Foods and Kokua Market.