05 January 2018

Mocktails for January

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you already know of my penchant for cocktails, craft beers, and wine of (pretty much) every price point.  So it feels a little funny to be writing this, but I'm trying to drastically cut back.  Those news articles talking about all the kinds of cancers my happy hours are going to give me are freaking me out. (Here's one to keep you from sleeping tonight.)

I always rolled my eyes at Drynuary, which I first started hearing about a few years ago, and I'm not doing it now.  But I am planning on going from having 1-2 drinks 5-6 nights per week to 1 drink 2-3 nights per week. I started this week, and I'm finding that I have two difficulties:

1. I miss happy hour! I love the excuse to push back from the computer at 4:30pm, crank up some tunes, make a nice cocktail, and enjoy with a little snack while going over the day's dramas with the hubs.
2. Alcohol tastes so much more interesting than everything else.  I don't mean I need to be drunk (I rarely get drunk thanks to my steady tolerance-building I have maintained since college). I mean, there's so much more depth of flavor in a nice whiskey than in a glass of juice.  Juice is so BORING!

So, in order to keep my nice little hygge ritual and have a little fun while swallowing liquids, I'm amassing a Mocktail menu. Here's what I've got so far:




Cider, Thyme + Tonic Mocktail
Serves 1

3 ounces apple cider
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
tonic water 
thyme sprig and lemon slices for garnish

Pour apple cider and lemon juice into a highball glass and stir. Top with tonic water and garnish with thyme and lemon






Ginger Mojito Mocktail


Serves 1 


8 fresh mint leaves
2 ounces fresh lime juice
Ice cubes
1 teaspoon brown sugar
8 ounces ginger ale
3 ounces club soda
In a tall glass, muddle together the mint leaves and lime juice.  Add the sugar and fill the glass with ice cubes. Add the ginger ale and club soda, and stir well.
Garnish with a lime wedge before serving (optional).

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