Staying Cool: Summer Cocktails and Mocktails
There’s no doubt in our minds that summer has arrived here in beautiful upstate New York where we grow our hemp and make our from-the-roots-up CBD products. If you’re like us, at the end of a long day it’s nice to unwind with an iced drink in your hand, whether it’s a cocktail or a mocktail or perhaps something that doesn’t end in “tail.” But if you’re a fan of those types of drinks, we’ve just upped the cocktail/mocktail game by adding our hemp teas and sparkling elixirs to the mix-- because the addition of these all-natural, health-boosting ingredients is just what the health-conscious bartender ordered!
First up: a refreshing and easy vodka drink featuring our 15mg CBD Rest Butterfly Lemonade. Also you get to use a muddler, which always makes us feel slightly more sophisticated.
Easy Vodka Tarragon Hemp-ade
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- 1 tarragon sprig
- 1 lemon slice
- 1.5 oz vodka (or gin if you prefer)
- 4 oz Rest Butterfly Lemonade
- Lemon garnish
Directions
- Muddle tarragon and lemon in glass. Add vodka and Rest with ice and stir to combine. Add a lemon slice for garnish.
This next recipe is inspired by Alison Roman’s from Bon Appetit. It subs in our 20mg CBD Orange Mango Spark for club soda which, to us is like, duh, better choice! With the addition of kombucha, you’ve got a cocktail that packs a one-two health punch.
Aperol-Kombucha Cocktail
Serves: 8 - perfect to put in a pitcher for that backyard bbq
Ingredients
- 2 cups gin, tequila or mezcal
- 1.5 cups Aperol
- 16 oz kombucha, chilled, preferably ginger or a citrus flavor
- 4 cans Spark - Orange Mango
- Bitters
- 2 tangerines or oranges, halved & thinly sliced
Directions
- Combine gin (or other alcohol), Aperol and kombucha in a larger glass pitcher and stir.
- Fill each cocktail glass with ice and pour in cocktail mixture halfway up, top with Spark, a few dash of bitters and a few slices of citrus fruit.
We fell in love with the mocktail recipe below from Food & Wine the minute we saw that long, thin slice of cucumber. It’s not only pretty, it’s delicious as well, especially with our 20mg CBD Spark Tangy Lime replacing club soda. We know it seems like we’re picking on club soda, but really, there’s no contest between that and our sparkling hemp elixir.
CBD Cucumber Lime Mocktail
Serving: 1
Ingredients
- 1 thin slice of cucumber
- Ice
- ¼ tsp fresh dill, chopped
- Dill sprig for garnish
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup fresh cucumber juice
- ¼ cup Spark Tangy Lime
Directions
- Press cucumber slice around inside of glass and fill glass with ice.
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle dill, agave, lemon and lime juices and 1 tbsp of water. Add ice, cucumber juice and shake.
- Pour into prepared glass, top with Spark and stir.
- Garnish with dill and enjoy.
Finally, what list of summer drinks would be complete without including some coconut? Our 8mg CBD Refresh Cranberry, Green Tea & Coconut tea takes center stage in this tropical mocktail. Enjoy it with some reggae music in the background, mon!
Cranberry Coconut Refresher
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- 6 oz Cranberry, Green Tea & Coconut Refresh
- 8-10 oz soda water
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- Cranberries (frozen or fresh) for garnish
- 1 bunch of mint leaves
Directions
- In a large collins glass, muddle mint leaves with lime juice.
- Add ice and Refresh, stirring to combine.
- Top with soda water and cranberries to garnish.
Cheers to your health!
