Rachel Marwedel
Website Manager
Each Monday, I gather my roommates and taste-test two mocktails. Here’s how this week’s went:
Basil Pomegranate Lemonade
A way to use your leftover basil leaves from Thanksgiving.
6 to 8 basil leaves
2 ounces pomegranate juice
4 ounces lemonade
2 ounces lemon-lime soda.
Muddle basil and pomegranate juice in the bottom of a tall glass. Fill the glass with ice, add the lemonade and lemon-lime soda, and stir.
This drink comes from my new book, Margarita Mama, by Alyssa Gusenoff. For the record, I’m not pregnant; that’s just the title of the book. I started out with my basil leaves. If your basil leaves are very large, lining the sides of the glass is a beautiful way to present your drink. This won’t work with smaller basil leaves, so leave them piled on the bottom. I poured on a bit of pomegranate juice, then lightly crushed the basil leaves with a spoon. I added some ice, lemonade, and lemon-lime soda and stirred it all together.
I’m not fond of lemonade, personally, and its addition made the drink too sticky. However, the presentation was certainly beautiful, and I’ll be using it in other drinks! I’ve got a certain strawberry granita in mind that would look stunning with the basil… All in all, pretty mediocre.
Rating: 2/3
Zachary Daiquiri
A drink named after someone’s baby?
3 to 4 frozen peach slices
4 to 5 frozen mango chunks
6 ounces ginger ale
1 ounce fresh orange juice
1 fresh peach slice (for garnish)
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend at medium to high speed until smooth. Serve immediately, garnished with a fresh peach slice.
This recipe also comes from Margarita Mama. I started off by warming up my frozen fruit a bit – if you don’t, your fruit will get stuck in the blender’s blades. After 30 seconds in the microwave, I added my orange juice and blended it. From personal experience, I know that adding anything carbonated in the blender will cause way too much foam. Because of that, I opted to wait to add the ginger ale until after blending. Stir a bit, and you’re all good to go!
This drink is named after the author of Margarita Mama’s new baby. So am I metaphorically drinking a baby? Best not to think about it too much. This daiquiri has a well-balanced combination of flavors. Each comes out in equal measure, not too strong, not too mild. It’s fresh, zesty, and all-around delicious.
Rating: 2.5/3
Photos by Rachel Marwedel
