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Alcohol – Free Cocktails
I stopped drinking alcohol for a year and I felt great. I will admit over the last month I tried a few alcohol beverages like a spritz or hard seltzer; but I never feel great afterward, so I’m doubling down on my alcohol-free lifestyle.
There are SO MANY alcohol free beverages and many have adaptogens, nootropics or other health forward ingredients. I feel best when I drink premixed cocktails with minimal or no added sugar. Take note that non-alcohol drinks are not inexpensive, but they’re less than a cocktail and you’ll feel better afterward.
Two of my favorite brands are:
Hiyo: Made with a proprietary blend of adaptogens, nootropics and botanicals. Hiyo was one of the first non-alcohol drinks I tried and I still keep in my fridge. Functional ingredients include: ashwagandha, l-theanine, lions mane, lemon balm, passion flower and ginger. Their current flavors are: Watermelon Lime, Blackberry Lemon, Peach Mango, Strawberry Guava, Passion Fruit Tangerine and Pineapple Coconut. My favorite flavor right now is Blackberry Lemon. Hiyo used to be only available from their website (use code wqqe4kdwg62q for $10 off your first order) but it’s now available in many grocery stores, Target and even Amazon. Prices can vary, so check around to find the best price.
Aplos: Made with zero added sugar and functional ingredients including lions mane, dandelion root, l-theanine, ginseng, green tea, hemp and moringa extract. Pre-mixed cocktail flavors include Ume Spritz, Chile Margarita, Kola Fashioned and Mandora Negroni. They also have two spirits, Calme and Arise, if you’re more of a create-your-own cocktail person. The Aplos Spritz is hands down my favorite canned cocktail. I serve it in a glass with ice and garnish with fresh or frozen citrus. Available on their website (use this link for $20 off your first order) and at Total Wine.
If you’re interested in trying non-alcohol cocktails, there are MANY options and new brands are popping up all the time. Total Wine has an entire section in store and offers many single can options so you can try different brands / flavors. I suggest reading the label and looking for added sugar, the last thing you want is a can of flavored sugar water. Also, some include CBD or THC so check the label if that’s something you do or do not want to consume. Cheers!
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Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, food, flowers, dogs and travel.
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Valentine’s Day Cocktails
For Valentine’s Day, I’m thinking either champagne or red cocktails… or red champagne cocktails. 🙂 Here’s a round-up of some of my favorites. (Click on the blue words below for more information or to purchase.)
Sorbet Champagne Float Sorbet Champagne Float
Raspberries
Place a ball of sorbet in a chilled coupe, top with champagne and berries. Serve with a spoon. You could even serve this for dessert, just use a chilled dessert dish and increase the size of the sorbet scoop.
Cherry Champagne Cocktail Cherry Champagne Cocktail
Luxardo cherries (do not refrigerate or the syrup will crystalize – speaking from experience)
1 oz Cherry liqueur (I used Heering)
Fresh lemon juice
Drop a Luxardo cherry in the bottom of a chilled champagne coupe or flute. Use a spoon to drizzle a tablespoon of Luxardo syrup in the glass. Top with 1 oz cherry liqueur and a few drops of fresh squeezed lemon juice (this will enhance the cherry), then top with Champagne or Prosecco. Garnish with a lemon peel.
Below are two Hibiscus Cocktails. Make the hibiscus concentrate in advance so it has time to chill.
Hibiscus concentrate. If you can find hibiscus flowers that’s great, (available on Amazon) but if not, just pick up a container of natural hibiscus tea at the grocery store. The Republic of Tea is a good brand.
Boil 1 1/2 cups of water, remove from heat
Add 1/4 cup of hibiscus flowers or several tea bags
Let steep for at least 10 minutes until the concentrate is a dark red.
Strain out the flowers and discard. Refrigerate the concentrated tea in a sealed container for up to one week. (I like to store my concentrate in Mason jars.)
Hibiscus Gin Spritz Hibiscus Gin Spritz
1 oz Aviation gin or your favorite brand
1 oz Hibiscus Concentrate
4 oz LaMarca Prosecco
2 oz Q club soda
Add all ingredients to a large wine goblet filled with ice. Stir gently. If you’d like, garnish with a lime wheel.
Hibiscus Margarita To make your Hibiscus Margarita extra special, make a hibiscus rimmer for your glass. Grind equal parts sugar and dried hibiscus flowers together with a mortar and pestle until you have a fine pink powder. (The sugar helps break down the hibiscus petals.) Then add salt to taste.
Pour a little Cointreau in a plate to wet the rim of your glass and then dip the glass in your hibiscus rimmer. Fill your glass with ice and set aside.
Hibiscus Margarita, combine in a cocktail shaker filled with ice:
1 1/2 oz Patron Silver tequila, or your favorite brand of tequila
1 oz Cointreau
2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
1 oz hibiscus concentrate
Shake well and strain into your glass with the hibiscus rimmer and ice.
For a non-alcoholic hibiscus cocktail, I love the hibiscus concentrate with lemonade and a splash of club soda.
Cheers!
What are you drinking on Valentine’s Day?
As an Amazon Associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases.
Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.