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5 Good-for-You Cocktails
5 Good-for-You Cocktails
It's rare to mix swanky cocktail recipes with the phrase “according to the latest scientific research," but hold on to your swizzle sticks. Scientists have just announced that alcohol increases the level of antioxidants in fruit. The researchers focused on strawberries and blackberries, but they suspect all fruit may be enhanced by a splash of the hard stuff. So to celebrate, we gathered fruit-filled recipes from some top "mixologists" (great job title). Tip: Do your party shopping at a health-food store -- fresh juices and fruit are readily available there.
Find out how to maximize the nutritional value of your favorite fresh fruit.
Strawberry Fields Forever
Serves one John Lennon fan
This luscious summer sipper is from mixologist Greg Best of Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta. It'll give you those extra antioxidants without any added sugars. "It's naturally sweet and tart from the strawberries, and the Dubonnet adds a subtle sweetness," notes Best.
1 1/2 ounces fresh strawberry juice
Juice from 1 lime wedge, squeezed
1/2 ounce Plymouth gin
1 oz. white Dubonnet, a wine-based aperitif
Club soda to taste
Mint sprig for garnish
Stir together the first four ingredients and pour into a tall glass filled with ice; add a splash or two of club soda for fizz, and garnish with a crushed sprig of mint.
Shanghai Twist
Serves two teetotalers
This exotic virgin cocktail -- or mocktail -- is "practically the fountain of youth," says Duggan McDonnell, owner of Cantina in San Francisco. It's made with an antioxidant-rich mixture of lemon, white tea, and aloe vera juice and sweetened naturally with agave nectar. So raise your glass and say "Gan bei!" (Chinese for "Dry the cup!")
8 ounces near-boiling water
1 bag Chinese white tea
1 tablespoon aloe vera juice
1 tablespoon agave nectar
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon
6 ounces Reed's Original Ginger Brew or other natural ginger ale
Steep the tea bag, aloe vera juice, and agave nectar in a mug of hot water for about 5 minutes, stirring gently. Remove the tea bag and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Fill two tall glasses with ice and pour in tea mixture, lemon juice, and ginger brew. Stir; garnish with a lemon slice.
Down the Rabbit Hole
Serves one avid gardener
Clean and crisp, this garden-fresh cocktail also hails from mixologist Best. The combo of carrot and cucumber juices is guaranteed to boost your daily dose of vitamins, and Cynar, the surprise ingredient, is an Italian liqueur thought to aid digestion. You'll need a juicer. Or you may be able to find ready-to-go juice at your local juice-and-smoothie bar.
3 ounces fresh carrot juice
1/2 ounce fresh cucumber juice
1/2 ounce Cynar, an Italian herbal liqueur
1 ounce Square One organic vodka, naturally fermented
1 sprig of sage
Thoroughly mix all liquids. Serve on the rocks in a double old-fashioned glass. Clap the sage between your hands to bruise it and release its fragrant oils, and then toss it in.
Grand Tropical Touch
Serves one smoothie lover
Made with fresh-fruit puree and plain yogurt, it's easy to see how this smoothie-like cocktail made the healthy list. But it's the soy vodka that adds the wow. There's only one on the market right now -- 3 Vodka -- says this drink's mixologist, Fred Rhode of Hurricanes Lounge in Hemingway's at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando.
1 1/4 ounces soy vodka
2 ounces pureed fresh fruit (use passion fruit, mango, pineapple, strawberry, guava, banana, or a combination of two)
2 ounces plain yogurt
Either combine all ingredients in a blender with ice cubes and puree into a frozen slush, or mix ingredients together and pour over crushed ice. Serve in a tall glass and garnish with fruit.
Essence-of-Summer Sangria
Serves four to six on the patio
Everyone knows a little red wine may be good for you. And fresh fruit? Absolutely. So kudos to the Spanish, who have instinctively been putting the two together for centuries, often with a splash of rum or brandy. This recipe gets a fruity twist from mixologist Rhode, who instead uses Cointreau, an orange liqueur, to enhance the flavor of the fruit. Start this recipe the day before.
1 bottle red wine
1 ounce Cointreau
Mixed fresh fruit, sliced (typically, lemons, limes, oranges, apples, and/or pineapple)
Club soda, optional
Combine the red wine and Cointreau, add fruit, and marinate in the fridge for 24 hours. To serve, pour over a few ice cubes in a red wine glass. Top off with club soda if you like your drinks sparkling.
There's your cocktail menu. Now, just put together some deliciously healthy nibbles to match, and start practicing your toasts. Here's one from us: Drink to your health!
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: Comments (3)
Comments
I enjoyed the article. I found it to be very interesting well written and informative. Keep up the great work. You have helped me to learn more about Calvados. Thanks Posted by: Roybama | December 21, 2008 at 05:56 PM
can u please give me some information about the different combinations of fruit juices(only fruit juices) so that it could be easy to consume more protiens and vitamins at a time.
Posted by: ram | June 04, 2008 at 11:37 AM
Maternity pay? Now every Tom, Dick and Harry will get pregnant.
-- Malcolm Smith
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http://ebloggy.com/jerrygillpz Posted by: DietBreededes | May 16, 2008 at 05:43 AM
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