Rachel Marwedel
Website Manager
Each Monday, I gather my roommates and taste-test two mocktails. Here’s how this week’s went:
Vanilla Peach Dream
A combination of all 3 of my Christmas presents
1/2 cup peach nectar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
Sparkling water (vanilla flavored)
Peach slices for garnish
Ice
In a shaker, combine peach nectar, vanilla extract, and honey. Shake well and strain into two glasses filled with ice. Top up with vanilla-flavored sparkling water. Stir gently. Garnish with peach slices.
This drink comes from Mocktail Magic by Bondjour, a recipe gift given to me by one of my roommates this Christmas. I started off by adding the peach nectar, vanilla extract, and honey to a cocktail shaker. If you’ve never heard of a cocktail shaker before, no worries! It’s exactly what it sounds like — you put liquids in it and shake it. It helps to evenly mix your ingredients without causing too much frothing or shredding any solid components like it would in a blender. I also got a cocktail shaker this Christmas from a separate roommate, so it was fun to test it out for the first time! However, for this recipe, it’s not really necessary. I then strained my liquids into ice-filled glasses and topped them with just plain sparkling water (I couldn’t find anything vanilla flavored.) No garnish today!
I have a new tool to photograph my drinks with. My third roommate got me a photography lightbox to take pictures of my drinks this Christmas. It’s almost like they know this is my only hobby… Anyway, I think the pictures look pretty snazzy! The drink itself wasn’t really anything special — just a combination of vanilla and peach.
Rating: 2/3
Hibiscus Citrus Zing
Poop water?
1/2 cup cooled hibiscus tea
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Sparkling water
Ice cubes
Orange slices for garnish
Combine cooled hibiscus tea, freshly grated ginger, honey, and freshly squeezed orange juice in a shaker. Shake well to blend the flavors, then strain into a glass filled with ice. Top up with sparkling water. Stir gently. Garnish with orange slices.
This is another recipe from Mocktail Magic. I started off by making a quick cup of hibiscus tea. While I waited for it to cool down, I grated my ginger and mixed it in with some warmed-up honey and orange juice. In went the tea, and then, after a few shakes, I strained it into an ice-filled glass. Did you know there are several different types of cocktail shakers? I’m using a Cobbler strainer, which has a built-in strainer. After pouring, I topped it with sparkling water, opting to skip the garnish once again.
If you moseyed on down to your local sewers, took a ladle, scooped up some liquid, and poured it into your handy cocktail glass, I’m convinced it would look identical to this drink. Simply put, this is poop water. It looks awful and tastes like spiced water. If I meet this drink again, it will only be under threat of having my new cocktail shaker confiscated.
Rating: 1/3
