Potables chock full of fresh produce? That’s one health trend we can get behind.
Bartenders, banish the blender, because right now it’s all about the juicer, which gives drinks color, fresh aromas and flavors without all that thick, rich texture.
From a veggie-rich Bloody Mary to a vodka sip that offers another use for a super-healthy kale-based green drink, these are beverages with benefits.
Jessica Rabbit
Recipe and image courtesy of Terra Mare
“We are lucky enough to have access to great produce, [so] we wanted to use the natural characteristics of our fruits and vegetables to enhance our cocktails instead of sugars, syrups, and other additives,” says general manager Ryan Zemel. “Our chef thinks like this in the kitchen, so why should we not think like that at our bar?” The inherent sweetness of the carrot juice replaces just about all the drink’s added sugar, he says, both enhancing flavor and adding vitamins and minerals.
- 1 ½ oz. Milagro Silver Tequila
- ½ oz. Cointreau
- 2 oz. Cold-pressed carrot juice
- ½ oz. Lime juice
- 1 oz. Fresh orange juice
- ½ oz. Cilantro simple syrup (see note)
- 3 slices Jalapeño
- Mixture of salt, crushed pink peppercorns and crushed dried pomegranate arils to garnish
- Lime wedge to rim drink
- Lime wheel to garnish
Rub the outside rim of tall glass with the lime wedge, coat with the salt, pepper and pomegranate mixture, and set glass aside. Add all other ingredients (except lime wheel) to a cocktail shaker, add ice, and shake until well chilled. Strain into the prepared glass over fresh ice, and garnish with the lime wheel.
For the cilantro simple syrup:
In a saucepan, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup white sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat and add ½ cup chopped cilantro. Steep mixture for 15 minutes, then strain out the solids. Store the syrup in the refrigerator for up to a week.
All Day Bloody Mary
Recipe courtesy of Naren Young, Creative Director, Dante; Image: Dante
“Our Bloody Mary is unlike any other version, most of which are very heavy and with a thick soup-like consistency, as well as being very sweet because of the usual tinned tomato juice that most people use which contains lots of sugar,” Young points out. “Ours is light, fresh, fragrant and makes a wonderful aperitif—this version might ruin all other Bloody Marys once you've tried it."
- 1 ½ oz. Aylesbury Duck Vodka
- ¼ oz. Ricard
- 5 oz. Bloody Mary mix (see note)
- Fennel salt to rim drink
- Lime wedge to rim drink
- Skewer of pepperoncini, cherry tomato, cornichon and cucumber stick to garnish
- Grated horseradish to garnish
Rub the outside rim of a Collins glass with the lime wedge, then coat in fennel salt. Build the drink in the glass over ice, garnishing with the prepared skewer and freshly grated horseradish.
For the Bloody Mary Mix:
Combine 4 cups fresh tomato juice, ½ cup carrot juice, ½ cup celery juice, ½ cup fennel juice, ½ cup cucumber juice, ½ cup red bell pepper juice, 2 oz. lemon juice, ¼ tbsp. tomato paste (dissolved first in the lemon juice), 1 Tbsp. Maldon salt, ¾ tbsp. celery salt, ¾ Tbsp. ground black pepper, 1 ¼ oz. Worcestershire sauce, and a dash each of green and red Tabasco sauce. Allow the mixture to steep overnight in the refrigerator.
Mezcal Revolution
Recipe courtesy of Luis Jaramillo, Executive Chef, Fifty; Image: Fifty
“Celery and citrus go hand in hand, and the added touch of mezcal and sweetness really brightens things up,” Jaramillo says. “Cold pressed is definitely having a moment, mainly in the mocktail world, which is extremely prevalent right now!” If you can’t find calamansi, which is a Filipino citrus fruit that’s a hybrid of the mandarin orange and the kumquat, you can substitute mandarin orange or Meyer lemon.
- 2 oz. Mezcal
- ¾ oz. Cold-pressed celery-calamansi juice
- 1 oz. Lemon juice
- ¼ oz. Agave nectar
- ½ oz. Maraschino liqueur
- 2 Basil leaves (reserve 1 for garnish)
- Cucumber wheel, peeled
- Lemon oil to garnish
Add the mezcal, celery-calamansi juice, lemon juice, agave nectar, maraschino liqueur, 1 basil leaf and the cucumber wheel to a cocktail shaker, add ice, and shake until well chilled. Strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with the other basil leaf and a few drops of lemon oil.
Vodka, So Duh
Recipe courtesy of Dan Rook, Lead Bartender, Jane Q
When he was visiting Los Angeles prior to moving there, Rook noticed how popular both Vodka Soda and kale juice were as beverage orders. He thought, why not make a cocktail out of the two? “The cold-pressed juice adds obvious flavor to the cocktail, but also a nice viscosity that cuts through the carbonation of the soda, resulting in a rather pleasant mouthfeel as well.”
- 1 oz. Stoli Vodka
- 2 oz. Pressed Juicery Greens 3 Juice (can substitute another green juice)
- ¾ oz. Lemon juice
- ¾ oz. Simple syrup
- 3 oz. Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water
- Lemon peel to garnish
Build the drink in a Collins glass over ice. Stir, then garnish with the lemon peel.
Green Tox
Recipe courtesy of Honey Salt
“In creating the Green Tox, we wanted to offer a lighter cocktail option where you can get your nutrients and a buzz in one glass,” says Elizabeth Blau, founder and CEO of Blau + Associates. “As our staff likes to say ‘Detox to retox with our Green Tox!’” A housemade cold-pressed green juice gives it tons of fresh flavor and a mean green color.
- 1 ½ oz. Tito’s Vodka
- 2 oz. Green Goodness Juice (see note)
- ¾ oz. Agave nectar
- Splash lemon juice
- Lemon wheel to garnish
Add all ingredients except garnish to a cocktail shaker, add ice, and shake until well chilled, Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, and garnish with a lemon wheel.
For the Green Goodness Juice:
Add 3 to 5 kale leaves and stalk, 1 whole lemon, 2 stalks celery, 1-inch piece peeled ginger, 1 cucumber and 2 Granny Smith apples to a juicer, then strain out solids. Store the juice in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Kelly Magyarics, DWS, is a wine, spirits and lifestyle writer, and wine educator, in the Washington, D.C. area. She can be reached through her website, www.kellymagyarics.com, or on Twitter and Instagram @kmagyarics.