While I was in the midst of the Bon Appétit Food Lover’s Cleanse a couple weeks ago I had written about one of the cocktails they had included with the plan (really – how can you not like a cleanse that builds in cocktails?) – the Winter’s Revival. Feeling, er, revived, I set out with a couple girlfriends to take the other two recipes for a spin.

One of the nice things about the lower octane drinks is that the alcohol doesn’t overpower the rest of the ingredients. I don’t normally drink whiskey or gin but both of these cocktails were tasty, light and very fresh tasting. Couple that with less calories than perhaps the usual cocktail and I can see these being a big hit at all kinds of girls’ gatherings.

Cheers to that!

to-grandmothers-house-we-go

Author: 
Serves: 1
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 tsp ginger, minced
  • ⅛ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 pinch of ground cloves
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 4 oz apple cider
  • ½ ounce rye whiskey
  • Lemon twist
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, simmer cranberries through honey until soft, 20-25 minutes.
  2. Place 1 Tbsp compote and apple cider in a cocktail with ice along with rye. Shake and pour into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Rubies & Thorns
Author: 
Serves: 1
 
Ingredients
  • 2 oz orange juice
  • ½ oz gin
  • 1 tsp lemon-thyme simple syrup*
  • 4 oz Pellegrino
Instructions
  1. Lemon-thyme simple syrup: bring ½ cup sugar, ½ cup water and 2 sprigs lemon-thyme to a low simmer. Stir until sugar dissolves. Allow to cool.
  2. Pour orange juice, gin and simple syrup over ice in a Collins glass, top with Pellegrino and stir. Garnish with a sprig of lemon-thyme.