Healthy Cocktails

Green Garden Cocktail

August 2, 2019 by Natalie Leave a Comment

Possibly one of my favorite things to do is to come up with margarita variations. The Green Garden cocktail isn’t quite just a margarita but was definitely my inspiration for creating this drink. I’m also very excited to be partnering up with my friends over at Exotico Tequila again. So expect a lot of delicious tequila drinks for the rest of 2019! I teamed up with Exotico last year for my Mango Kombucha Margarita + Bistec Mango Tacos post. Those recipes are well worth a revisit and are currently making my mouth water. If you missed that post and you aren’t familiar with Exotico Tequila it is handcrafted with tradition by the Destiladora Gonzalez Gonzalez.

The Destiladora Gonzalez Gonzalez is a family distillery spanning three generations and one of Mexico’s most respected makers of tequila. The tequila is made from 100% Blue Weber agave grown in the highlands of Jalisco. From my many travels to Jalisco I learned that the red clay soil there produces larger and much sweeter agaves which is why Exotico gets their agaves from this region. This type of agave, once distilled, gives Exotico its floral, well-rounded taste. I love the Exotico Blanco because it has notes of roasted agave with a peppery finish which makes it delightful to use in drinks or sip on its own.

I’ve been on a cucumber juice kick and thought it would make a wonderful summer ingredient in a tequila-based drink. I love spicy and savory elements in cocktails and decided to make a green bell pepper syrup to use as well. The results were amazing if I can say so myself. 😉

Green Garden, makes one serving

1 1/2 oz. Exotico Tequila

1/2 oz. Yellow Chartreuse

1 oz. fresh cucumber juice

1/2 oz. fresh lime juice

3/4 oz. green bell pepper syrup

handful of basil leaves

salt, paprika and chili flakes, for rim

Green Bell Pepper Syrup, makes 1 cup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 green bell pepper

To make the syrup, cut a green bell pepper in half, remove seeds and rinse. Chop into small pieces. In a small saucepan add sugar, water and chopped green bell pepper. Let simmer on the stove until all sugar has dissolved then remove from heat and let completely cool. I left the green bell pepper in the syrup overnight and then strained to extract the most flavor.

Next, get your cocktail glasses ready! I did an equal part combination of course sea salt, paprika and red chili flakes. Run a lime around the rim of your glass and then roll the outside rim of your glass through the salt mixture. To make cucumber juice I ran a few cucumbers through a slow juicer. If you don’t have a slow juicer the other option is blending the cucumbers and straining the cucumber juice out through a fine strainer or cheesecloth. Combine tequila, Yellow Chartreuse, cucumber juice, lime juice, green bell pepper syrup and basil leaves in a cocktail shaker. Finally, add ice, shake and strain into your salt-rimmed glasses.

Not only does this cocktail taste magnificent but the color is very stunning. I called it the Green Garden for the use of all the green ingredients and of course the color. I love the green bell pepper syrup and I can’t wait to play around with it in other drinks. Perhaps even test out some other peppers in syrups as well. This cocktail is herbal, refreshing and savory—perfect for a hot day! But always and most importantly, perfect in the company of tacos. And chips. And guacamole. You get it. xo

3 Ways to Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend

May 1, 2018 by Natalie

I’m so excited to be teaming up with Bai for this next post! Memorial Day Weekend is just over a month away and is the official kick-off to Summer. I’ve put together 3 fun ways for you to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend this year. Whether you’re staying home, entertaining, or going to a friends party, it’s always a good idea to have a few tricks up your sleeves.

DIY Balloon Arch

Supplies:

helium tank

balloon decorating strip

various balloons in different colors and sizes

glue dots

balloon string

I’ve never blown up balloons with helium before this project. Honestly, it was so easy and I got this Balloon Time tank that is available at Party City. They’re so easy to use and can easily be recycled when empty. To use all you have to do is twist the nozzle, press down to fill the balloons, and then tie the ends up. You can blow up all your balloons and then attach them or attach them as you go which is what I ended up doing. If you blow them all up at once, make sure you can reach them, or put them in garbage bags so they don’t float up.

Next, you can attach them to the balloon decorating strip. Slip the knot of a balloon through the hole of the decorating strip. Skip a few holes and place another balloon facing the opposite direction. Keep alternating balloon colors and sides until you have a balloon strip as long as you need your arch to be. If your balloon arch is looking scarce you can add a few more balloons where needed, but don’t go too crazy. We’re going to add little balloons to fill in the holes too.

Once all your main balloons are on the strip as long as you need it to be, you can cut the strip on either side where the balloons end. You can use balloon string to tie your arch to the table or piece of furniture your using. I tied mine to strings that went to the floor and then used balloon weights to hold it down. Use glue dots to stick mini balloons into the holes and crevices until you have an arch that’s completely full.

Jalapeño Watermelon Paloma

Ingredients:

2 oz Jalapeño infused Tequila

2 oz. Bai Kula Watermelon

1/2 oz. fresh lime juice

4 chunks watermelon

salt, for rimming

top with Bai Bubbles Gimbi Pink Grapefruit

First, infuse your tequila. Slice jalapeño and add it to a jar with the tequila. Depending on the intensity of your pepper this may infuse fairly quickly. With this in mind, I’d say infuse it for 10 minutes or 20 minutes MAX. I have a very high tolerance for spice, however, if you don’t straw test it every few minutes until it’s at your desired spiciness. Once your tequila has infused you can build your drink.

Now, rim your glass with salt. Add watermelon together with lime and Bai Kula Watermelon to a shaker and muddle. Next, add the jalapeño tequila and shake with ice. Strain into your desired serving vessel that’s been rimmed with salt and top with Bai Gimbi Pink Grapefruit. Finally, garnish with a lime wheel. This Jalapeno Watermelon Paloma is spicy, fruity, refreshing, and not to mention delightfully fizzy, which makes it perfect for a hot day. I found that using just the Bai Kula Watermelon made this drink sweet enough so no added sugar or syrups necessary.

Additionally, you can also make this Jalapeño Watermelon Paloma a large format style drink too. To serve 10 people add 20 oz. jalapeño infused tequila, 2 bottles Bai Kula Watermelon, 8 oz. lime juice, 2 cups watermelon, 2 sliced grapefruits, and 2 cans of Bai Bubbles Gimbi Pink Grapefruit to a punch bowl or drink dispenser with ice. It’s such a perfect beverage for your Memorial Day Weekend festivities!

Hot Dogs 4 Ways

It wouldn’t be Memorial Day Weekend without some hot dogs! Pick out your favorite type of dog and cook it your favorite way. These are my 4 suggested ways to dress up your dog this holiday weekend.

Mexican Dog

Ingredients:

avocado, sliced

jalapeño, sliced

1/4 cup white onion, diced

1 tomato, diced

kiwi, diced

1 cup pineapple, diced

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

4-6 dashes hot sauce of your choice

juice of 1 lime

To make the pineapple kiwi salsa simply toss onion, tomato, kiwi, pineapple, salt, pepper, hot sauce, and lime juice in a bowl. To assemble your Mexican Dog top with the salsa, freshly sliced avocado, and freshly sliced jalapeño.

Chicago Dog

Ingredients:

white onion, diced

tomato, sliced

pickle spears

yellow mustard

sweet relish

pickled sport peppers (we used serranos)*

celery salt

Cut the tomato into half-moon slices and line your hot dog bun with the tomato slices. Add your dog and then top with a pickle spear, sweet relish, sport peppers, mustard, a sprinkle of onion and celery salt. *sport peppers are regional and if you can’t find them where you live use serrano peppers

Caprese Dog

Ingredients:

tomato, sliced

whole basil leaves

fresh mozzarella

balsamic vinegar

Cut tomatoes into half-moon slices. In your hot dog bun line one side with tomatoes and one side with fresh basil leaves. Top with fresh mozzarella, I used mozzarella pearls, and then drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Greek Dog

Ingredients:

cucumber, sliced

tomato, sliced

greek yogurt

cheese, crumbled

Cut cucumber as well as the tomatoes into slices and line your hot dog bun with them. Add your hot dog to the bun and then top with greek yogurt and a sprinkle of feta cheese.

I had so much fun putting this all together with Bai for Memorial Day Weekend. You can use one of these ideas or all of them, it’s totally up to you! I love the idea of doing a hot dog bar with the DIY balloon arch, and serving your favorite kind of dog coupled with a large format drink, like the jalapeno watermelon Paloma, to go along with it. I’d love to hear what your planning for your Memorial Day Weekend especially if you decide to try any of these ideas. Make sure you chime in on the comments below and let me know what you think!

Thank you for reading this sponsored post that makes Arsenic Lace possible.

Aloe Cucumber Cooler

April 10, 2018 by Natalie Leave a Comment

I’m so happy to be teaming up with Tadin Tea for this next post. Tea is something I’ve always incorporated into my recipe developing at home and behind the bar. This Aloe Cucumber Cooler is so refreshing and the perfect cocktail for the warm months ahead.

Usually, when I use tea in cocktails I gravitate towards the more floral and fruity teas. The selection of teas Tadin has available was so impressive. Tadin has been creating unique tea blends since 1982 that are all naturally good for you. Immediately I knew I wanted to use the aloe vera cactus tea in a cocktail. Drinking aloe has numerous health benefits such as extra hydration, aids in liver function, healthy skin, and digestion. I guess healthy cocktails are kind of my thing lately. 😉

Aloe Cucumber Cooler, serves 1

2 oz. Hendrick’s gin

1 oz. aloe vera juice

1/2 oz. lime juice

3/4 oz. tea syrup (using Tadin aloe vera with cactus tea)

cucumber slices and mint, for muddling

top with club soda

cucumber ribbons and mint sprigs for garnish

Making tea syrup is so easy and such a great way to add extra flavor to your drinks and simple syrup. First, brew the tea. I used 3 tea bags in 1 cup of boiling water. Let steep for 5 minutes and then discard the tea bags. While the tea is still hot, add the same amount of sugar to make a 1:1 tea simple syrup.

Regarding the aloe juice, I bought mine packaged. I wanted to juice it fresh but the day I was looking for it, of course, it was nowhere to be found. I’ve linked to the one I used above. If you can find that brand I suggest using it. It is 99.8% aloe. Make sure whatever aloe juice you’re buying has no added sugars, is made from 100% pure aloe, and is made from the inner gel fillet. So many of the aloe drinks on the market are flavored and have lots of additives and sugar.

Now you can build your cocktail. Add aloe vera juice, lime juice, tea syrup, cucumber, and mint to a cocktail shaker and muddle lightly. Next, add your gin then shake with ice and strain into a highball glass. Top with soda and garnish with a cucumber ribbon and mint sprig. To make cucumber ribbons I used a mandolin slicer.

This Aloe Cucumber Cooler turned out way better than I anticipated. It’s:

Cold

Refreshing

Fizzy

Earthy

Herbal

Hydrating

I was a little nervous how well the tea and actual aloe juice would work in a cocktail but the results are amazing. The tea is super herbal and earthy which goes so well with muddled mint and cucumber. Also, I decided to use Hendrick’s gin to add extra cucumber and floral notes to this drink. Feel free to use any gin or even vodka if that’s your preference. I will certainly be consuming a lot of these this Summer. Can we hydrate our livers and drink at the same time? I’m not sure but it’s worth a shot!

Also, make sure you head over to Instagram to enter the giveaway I’m hosting with Tadin Teas. One lucky winner will win Tadin Teas entire collection. That’s 33 different teas! I’d love to see you mix up your own Tadin Teas cocktails at home. Good luck everyone!

Healthy Drinks: The Bitter Beet Detox Cocktail

January 17, 2018 by Natalie 1 Comment

Can we drink and be healthy? I’m not quite sure but we can try! I made this Bitter Beet Detox Cocktail with Fernet-Branca that’s super herbal and refreshing. Fernet-Branca is made from bitters and herbs, and though it goes down relatively smooth, the aftertaste kicks and lingers. It is, as almost everyone describes it, an acquired taste.

The base of Fernet is made from grapes and includes generous helpings of the antioxidant saffron, as well as some rhubarb, chamomile, and ginseng. With the rumored herb count somewhere between 20 to upwards of 40, much more goes into Fernet, and other ingredients include peppermint oil, sage, bay leaves, gentian root, and even St. John’s wort. Almost all Fernet recipes are secret though!

The combination of herbs, whatever they all are, settles the stomach, aids digestion, and people often cite it as a hangover cure. Originally, people drank the liquor to cleanse the system, sipping it following dinner. Historically Fernet has been used for health reasons which made it perfect in this Bitter Beet Detox Cocktail.

Bitter Beet Detox Cocktail

1 1/2 oz. Fernet-Branca

1/2 oz. ginger liqueur

1 oz. fresh beet juice

3/4 oz. lemon juice

1/2 oz. honey syrup

thyme, for garnish

Cut your beets into small pieces and run them through your slow juicer. If you don’t have a slow juicer you can make juice in a blender and fine strain. You can also buy it at your local health food store. Add all of your ingredients to your cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.

Can I be honest with you guys? I’ve never been a huge fan of Fernet. I have drunk it on occasion to use it exactly what it was meant for — digestion, upset stomach, or hangover. I’ve never truly enjoyed it in a drink and it’s never my first choice. This Bitter Beet Detox Cocktail has kind of changed my mind though.

The earthiness of beets goes so well with all the herbal notes of Fernet. Ginger liqueur adds some nice spice and sweetness to this drink together with the honey. Honey is a great natural sugar and is full of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. The lemon juice adds brightness and helps balance the cocktail. In addition, thyme is a great aromatic for garnish and also has many health benefits. Thyme can boost the immune system as well as aid in heart health, provide relief from stress, and is rich in anti-fungal and antioxidant properties.

Have I given you enough reasons to make this cocktail? YES! I hope you will give this healthy Bitter Beet Detox Cocktail a try. I can’t wait to make more fresh vegetable juice cocktails. Is there anything, in particular, you’d like me to use? Let me know below in the comments below. xo

My Warm Take on a Summer Classic: The Hot & Stormy

January 8, 2018 by Natalie 1 Comment

We’ve been enduring freezing temperatures here for weeks now and frankly, I’m growing a little tired of it. When it’s cold and you have the holidays to look forward to you can persevere through it. After the new year, the bitter cold leaves me just that — bitter. I’ve been dreaming up drinks I can stay inside with and that remind me of warmer days. I’m pleased to introduce my warm take on a Summer classic, The Hot & Stormy.

Brilliant, yes? I thought so. The Dark & Stormy cocktail is simple, refreshing, and the perfect Summer highball. But its ingredients dissected make a pretty awesome warm drink appropriate for those really frigid winter nights too. My trick to the perfect Dark & Stormy cocktail is throwing away the premixed ginger beer and using freshly juiced ginger instead. It’s a little more work but the spicy flavor it yields is totally worth it. I add a 1/2 oz. lime to mine with 2 oz. Gosling’s Rum (of course), 3/4 oz. fresh ginger syrup, and then top with club soda for the fresh fizzy ginger beer effect.

I’m going to show you how I make ginger syrup so you can make my Hot & Stormy.

Hot & Stormy

1 1/2 oz. Gosling’s Rum

1/2 oz. lime juice

1/2 oz. ginger syrup

hot water

lime wheel and ginger candy, for garnish

I finally bought myself a slow juicer. I decided on this one by Hurom. Yes, it’s pink which was a plus in my book but it also got amazing reviews (another plus). Their juicers come in lots of other colors and styles if pink isn’t your thing. This post is 100% not sponsored and I’m giving you my honest opinion: buy this juicer. Not only is the design amazing, it’s so easy to put together and disassemble, super easy to clean, and hums like the purr of a fat content cat. It’s SO quiet!

I peeled a larger piece of ginger, cut it down so it would fit through the top of the juicer, and pressed down. Like magic, the fresh ginger juice comes right out. I used a piece of ginger that was probably 5 inches long and it yielded exactly 4 oz. of ginger juice. The key to making ginger syrup is a 2:1 ratio. It’s 2 sugar to 1 ginger juice. Fresh ginger is really spicy so you need more sugar to balance it out. I added 8 oz. of sugar and stirred it until the sugar dissolved. You can heat this over low heat on the stove if you want it done faster. If you don’t have a slow juicer don’t fret. I detailed how to make ginger syrup using a blender for my Dark & Stormy Popsicles on A Beautiful Mess.

The hard part is over and now you can assemble your drink. Add all your ingredients to your serving vessel and top with hot water. You are ready to enjoy your Hot & Stormy.

Originally when I was brainstorming hot drinks to make on the blog I wanted to do a hot toddy variation. Ginger in hot drinks is so good, soothing, and bonus…healthy, but ginger in hot toddies had been done numerous times. I started thinking about my favorite drinks with ginger in them and that led me to this hot Dark & Stormy variation. I basically removed the club soda and replaced it with hot water. I’m so happy with how it came out and it was simple to put together. It’s crazy what a slight adjustment to a cold drink can do to make the perfect warm winter cocktail. I hope you enjoy my warm take on a Summer classic, The Hot & Stormy. It just might be my new favorite cold weather drink.

Holiday Pomegranate Mule

December 14, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

It’s beginning to look a lot like cocktails (I mean Christmas) around here! The holidays can be a little hectic, so taking the stress out of entertaining is key. I put together this Holiday Pomegranate Mule that is perfect for your holiday celebrations. They’re easy to whip up in a larger batch but also simple if you just need to make a few. Maybe you need to kick up your feet up and relax with one. I promise this Holiday Pomegranate Mule will do the trick!

I’ve been using Zevia mixers a lot around here and I love, love, love their ginger beer. Their mixers are simple and the perfect compliment to any cocktail. This ginger beer is bold and spicy in flavor (which I love) with a hint of sweetness. Making smarter choices is important to me and I like using Zevia because there is no sugar, no calories, and no artificial sweeteners. That means they won’t overload cocktails with extra calories and they have a more sophisticated and drier flavor than most sodas on the market. I used Zevia ginger beer in my Holiday Pomegranate Mule and the results were amazing!

Holiday Pomegranate Mule, serves 1

2 oz. vodka

3/4 oz. lime juice

3/4 oz. pomegranate simple syrup

1 can Zevia Ginger Beer

I made a pomegranate simple syrup with stevia to further reduce the calories associated with drinking cocktails. I made it by reducing fresh pomegranate juice, lemon juice, and stevia. Place 2 cups pomegranate juice, 4 tbsp. of stevia and 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice in a saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the stevia has completely dissolved. Allow to cool completely and store in a glass jar or bottle.

Add your vodka, lime juice, and pomegranate simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with some ice and give it a quick shake. Pour into a copper mug filled with ice and top with Zevia Ginger Beer. Garnish with a slice of lime, a sprig of rosemary, and some pomegranate seeds. While I was scooping out the seeds from the pomegranate I produced a good amount of fresh pomegranate juice. If that’s the case for you as well, pour some of the juice into your cocktail. I love fresh pomegranate juice and it added so much flavor to the drink!

Pomegranates are tart, tangy, and rich but not sweet, with musky complexities similar to red wine. I love using this ingredient in cocktails because the flavors are so complex and mix well with so many spirits. I based this Holiday Pomegranate Mule off the classic Moscow Mule cocktail but feel free to use another spirit besides vodka. Rum, gin, tequila, or any type of whiskey would also be a great fit for this drink.

If you want to make this drink in a large batch multiply the recipe by how many drinks you’d like to make. Add all ingredients to a pitcher or punch bowl and stir. By making some slight adjustments like using a stevia sweetener instead of sugar and using Zevia, I made a healthy and low-calorie cocktail. It’s easy to pack on a few pounds during the holiday season so I’ll save my calories where I can. Does this mean I can have an extra cookie? I hope you will consider enjoying a few of these Holiday Pomegranate Mules with your loved ones at your upcoming holiday gatherings. May your days be merry and bright everyone! Cheers. xo

Boozy Matcha Latte

August 3, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

I love matcha A LOT! Last year I made a matcha piña colada and that kind of sparked my obsession with this green powdered goodness. Matcha smoothie bowls, matcha lattes, matcha soft serve, matcha ice cream, matcha brownies…okay you get it! After indulging in an iced latte last week I had an epiphany – this would be really good with rum in it. I often think that though. We can agree that basically everything would taste better with a little rum in it. Period. Okay, I also have a large obsession with rum as you might have noticed. Moral of the story: Do what you love.

I’ve been trying to eat cleaner but I guess drinking cleaner might be counter productive. You can still of course indulge and make smarter choices that are less impactful on your body, mind, and your whole next day. I struggle with really bad hangovers so I try not to push my limits anymore. You’d expect because of my blog and my profession that I’m a BIG drinker. In fact, I pride myself on moderation, and above all things, drinking and serving responsibly. I love to incorporate healthy elements into cocktails by always using the freshest ingredients and using things like teas, ginger, turmeric, etc. All of these things are good for you and of course make you feel a bit less guilty about having another. Check out this article about healthy(ish) cocktails on Supercall where my Yellow Line cocktail is mentioned.

Boozy Matcha Latte, serves 1

2 oz. white rum (I used Plantation)

1 cup milk of your choice ( I used Almond)

2 Tsp. matcha

1 Tbsp. orgeat

ice

float of coconut cream

Add the rum, milk, orgeat, and matcha to your cocktail shaker, add ice and shake. Strain into a highball glass over ice and top with whipped coconut cream.

To make the coconut cream: refrigerate your can of coconut cream for a few hours or over night. When you open the can, drain the liquid and then scoop out the solid cream. You can add sugar if you’d like to sweeten it but I left it as is. I actually over whipped mine by accident, so don’t “whip it good”. 😉

Matcha is high in antioxidants, calming, boosts memory and concentration, increases energy levels, burns calories, detoxifies the body and strengthens your immune system. As if you needed more reasons, the other great thing about this matcha latte recipe is you can, by all means, leave the booze out. If you decide to use a plant based milk this recipe is 100% Vegan. I loved the addition of orgeat as a sweetener to enhance the almond flavor of this drink. If you’re not familiar with orgeat, it is an almond syrup made from almond milk. I enjoyed how this boozy interpretation of a latte came out and it would be great as a brunch cocktail, dessert cocktail or if you’re just in the mood for something sweet. The coconut whipped cream is easy and I actually prefer to use it over real heavy whipped cream because the flavor is amazing! I hope you get to try this at home and if you do, chime in on the comments below. I love you a matcha for reading this post. Until next time. xo

Healthy Cocktails

Green Garden, makes one serving

Green Bell Pepper Syrup, makes 1 cup

DIY Balloon Arch

Supplies:

Jalapeño Watermelon Paloma

Ingredients:

Hot Dogs 4 Ways

Mexican Dog

Ingredients:

Chicago Dog

Ingredients:

Caprese Dog

Ingredients:

Greek Dog

Ingredients:

Aloe Cucumber Cooler, serves 1

Bitter Beet Detox Cocktail

Hot & Stormy

Holiday Pomegranate Mule, serves 1

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