Ingredient guide · dossier № 3
Salt Sole
MB1 · Tonic Awakeningcoremineral
Use only unrefined mineral salt (Himalayan chunk, Celtic grey, or Redmond) with no anti-caking agents — refined white table salt defeats the purpose of sole.
Where to buy
- San Francisco Salt Co. (Sherpa Pink Himalayan, coarse)$14.99 / 5 lb coarse grainBulk sizes to 25 lb; coarse grain dissolves slowly — ideal for a sole jar
- The Spice Lab (Himalayan salt stones, 1–2" chunks)~$13 / 2 lb (price approximate as of July 2026)True chunk format — the classic sole-jar form; kosher certified
- Selina Naturally (Celtic Sea Salt, Light Grey coarse)$6.99 / 1 lb (Swanson; ~$13.99 2-pack at Walmart)Unrefined, hand-harvested French sea salt, 70+ trace minerals; moist grey crystals
- Redmond Real Salt (fine, ancient sea salt)$12.89 / 26 oz pouchUtah-mined ancient seabed salt, unrefined, no additives; fine grain — better for direct pinches than sole jars
Role in the beverage
Sole (so-LAY) is a saturated brine of unrefined salt — the mineral heart of MB1. A teaspoon in the morning glass delivers sodium plus the trace-mineral spectrum of unrefined salt (Himalayan and Celtic salts carry 60–84 trace elements) in fully dissolved, ionic form. It supports morning hydration and electrolyte balance after the overnight fast, and rounds the citrus sourness into something savory and complete.
To make sole: fill a glass mason jar about 1/4 full with salt chunks or coarse crystals, top with filtered water, cap with a plastic (non-metal) lid, and let sit overnight. If all the salt dissolves, add more — undissolved salt at the bottom means the brine is saturated (~26% salinity) and self-preserving; it keeps indefinitely at room temperature. Top up water and salt as you use it. Use a wooden or plastic spoon.
Quality criteria
- Unrefined only: no anti-caking agents (yellow prussiate of soda, silicon dioxide), no bleaching, no added iodine. The label should list nothing but salt.
- Chunk or coarse format is best for a sole jar — chunks dissolve slowly and one charge lasts weeks. Fine salt works but clouds the jar.
- Source integrity: Himalayan pink (mined from ancient Pakistani seabeds), Celtic light grey (hand-harvested from French Atlantic clay ponds — moist, mineral-rich), and Redmond Real Salt (ancient seabed in Utah, so zero modern-ocean microplastics) are the three canonical choices. Salt is a mined mineral, so there is no “organic” certification — unrefined + third-party tested is the quality bar.
Where to buy
San Francisco Salt Co. (sfsalt.com) is a US specialty importer with strong QC; Sherpa Pink coarse grain was $14.99 for a 5 lb bag on their site as of July 2026, with 10 and 25 lb bulk refills — the best value per pound of the group.
The Spice Lab sells actual 1–2 inch Himalayan salt stones/chunks (Amazon listing B004LKQSL0), the traditional sole-jar format that dissolves slowest; ~$13 for 2 lb, price approximate as of July 2026 — the live Amazon price wasn’t verifiable at research time.
Selina Naturally / Celtic Sea Salt brand is the original importer of light grey Celtic salt; the coarse 1 lb bag was $6.99 at Swanson (verified via search, July 2026) and ~$13.99 for a 2-pack at Walmart; also stocked at Whole Foods, Thrive Market, and Amazon. Its moist grey crystals make an especially mineral-tasting sole.
Redmond Real Salt (redmond.life) fine grain was $12.89 for the 26 oz pouch on Redmond’s own site as of July 2026, and is widely stocked (Kroger, Whole Foods, Amazon). Fine grain is less ideal for the jar but perfect for direct pinches and for the backpacking mix.
Backpacking form
Don’t carry brine — carry the salt. A small screw-top vial of coarse Himalayan or Redmond fine salt weighs nothing and is already shelf-stable forever; a generous pinch (~1/8 tsp) per cup of hot water approximates a teaspoon of sole. Pre-blend it with the citrus powder for a one-scoop tonic mix.