White Cow Dairy Tonics - Murray's Cheese | Greenwich Village, New York

We bet that Patrick Lango's new White Cow Dairy tonics are unlike any drink you've ever had.

In the 1980s, in an effort to retain his 50-cow family farm near Buffalo, Lango ventured into fresh specialty dairy foods such as puddings, custards and yogurt. All of those thick, cream-based delights left him with buckets of curds and whey, natural byproducts of the production process.

Now this fourth-generation farmer is taking inspiration from ancient fermented milk recipes to craft his decidedly modern, whey-based tonics ($4 each).

These drinks are no toddler's smoothie: The offbeat flavors are downright tangy, sweetened with only raw honey and made-on-the-farm maple sugar. A bright Lemonade uses fresh lemon juice and is steeped with maple sugar, mint sprigs and thin pieces of lemon zest. We're fonder still of the refreshing Lime and the fragrant Big Star, scented with anise and sumac.

As a bonus, each drink has a lacto-fermented pop of healthy bacteria, probiotics, electrolytes and ionized minerals–all without the usual heaviness of dairy.

In the coming months, look for new flavors such as Vanilla with Armagnac and a Java blend of Sumatran dark roast, malted barley and nutmeg.

Available exclusively at Murray's Cheese Greenwich Village, 254 Bleecker St. (between Leroy and Morton sts.); 212-243-3289 and Murray's Cheese Grand Central, Lexington Ave. at 43rd St.; 212-922-1540 or murrayscheese.com