Who doesn’t love a cocktail now and then? Whether your preference is icy, sour or sweet, it’s time to rethink your drink of choice. These creative cocktails offer a healthier twist on some of our favorite tipples by using a base of fresh fruit juices and cold pressed vegetables. Superfoods such as turmeric, beets and wheatgrass are also popping up in cocktails. Cheers!
Ruby Slipper, Terra Preta, Scranton, Pennsylvania
Terra Preta is a farm-to-table restaurant run by a father-daughter duo in Scranton, PA. Many of their cocktails have a base of vegetable juice, such as the Rubber Slipper, which blends grapefruit vodka, Elderflower liqueur, cold-pressed celery and pear juice topped with soda water. Other drinks on the menu are crafted from cucumber or carrot juice, as well as fresh ginger.
Sazerac, Hotel Montefiore, Tel Aviv
If your voice is getting scratchy, try the Sazerac from Tel Aviv’s stylish Hotel Montefiore. The cocktail includes Jullius Bitters, an artisanal distillery in Northern Israel infusing Zuta Levana (White Zuta), a wild minty herb indigenous to the Middle East that is thought to heal sore throat and stomach pains. The Sazerac is crafted from Remy Martin VSOP, Woodford Reserve, Bitter Truth Creole Bitters, orange zest and a sugar cube.
Spanglish Rockstar, Latin Beet Kitchen, New York
The Latin Beet Kitchen serves up healthy Latin soul food (think ceviche bowls) with equally health minded cocktails. The drinks menu uses seasonal ingredients and superfoods, and many drinks are sweetened with panela, an unrefined whole cane sugar from Colombia. The Spanglish Rockstar is a mix of rum, carrot, orange and thyme juice, along with turmeric house-made soda. The Smoky Margarita combines tequila, mezcal and lime juice, topped with a honeydew melon, spirulina, ginger and sage juice and cayenne cleanse kombucha.
Hula Skirt, Datz, Tampa
This humble looking restaurant has been making culinary waves for its innovative food and artisanal cocktails. Datz’s The Hula Skirt is adorable but also packs a powerful punch. The drink is a blend of passion fruit puree and wheatgrass juice, combined with sparkling coconut water and two kinds of rum—all garnished with a bundle of fresh wheatgrass.
Apple of My Eye, The Williamsburg Hotel, Brooklyn
Apple cider vinegar (or ACV to those in the know) is known for having a multitude of medicinal qualities, from boosting gut health to clearing a stuffy nose. The Apple of My Eye cocktail served at the Harvey restaurant within The Williamsburg Hotel contains ACV as well as apple cider, bourbon, and a teaspoon of sugar and lemon juice.
Blood Transfusion, Hotel Arts Barcelona
The new P41 bar at the Hotel Arts Barcelona uses ingredients such as bitters and fresh fruits. The Blood Transfusion is meant to give guests a little boost, thanks to a base of beetroot mixed with gin, Aperol, Domain Canton (a ginger liquor) and some fresh lime. The pipette garnish adds to the playfully medicinal feel.