Picture this: all of the hydrating, refreshing goodness of a popsicle combined with the exciting, funness of a cocktail—it’s the best of both worlds. It’s the hybrid of our dreams.
With spring upon us and summer right around the corner, it’s time to figure out how you’ll impress your guests this season. We’re just as on board with this whole “health kick” thing as everyone else is, so of course, we’ve kept that in mind. That said, we’re also over a year into a global pandemic, which means that we’ve got to consider the importance of comfort, too. Healthy and comforting could look like celery sticks and a cup of tea, but it looks even better as a kombucha cocktail. We think it’s in everyone's best interest to choose the latter, at least after this year.
Drink a Cocktail, but Make it Healthy
Attention, fellow health freaks! Get ready to have your cake and eat it too.
As far as “healthy” cocktails go, this is it. Before letting your eyes roll to the back of your head, hear us out. This isn’t just another buzzword-filled cocktail recipe, we promise. We know how important it is to take care of our bodies, but we also know the importance of treating ourselves. So, we made it our mission to create the most amazing recipe to satisfy both of these desires.
There are two special features to this cocktail that make it the unique, healthy, and delicious masterpiece that it is: Mezcal and kombucha.
As far as spirits go, Mezcal makes a name for itself as the healthiest choice. It’s not uncommon to wake up after a night of drinking Mezcal feeling perfectly normal. More and more health-conscious consumers are making Mezcal their liquor of choice because of its purity and lack of additives. A good Mezcal has zero sugar, zero carbohydrates, and zero BS. Allow us to explain.
The ingredient list on any Mezcal bottle should look more like a single sentence. Mezcal is highly regulated and legally required to be 100% agave. For comparison, Mezcal’s cousin, tequila, is only required to have 51% agave, leaving 49% available for sweeteners and any other artificial additives. It’s all this “other stuff” that leaves us feeling crappy after a night of drinking.
This recipe calls for nothing but the best, most pure, Mezcal. Rosaluna Mezcal is made with only agave, water, and lots of love. You know how it’s a good rule of thumb to choose products with shorter ingredient lists at the grocery store? Same goes at the liquor store. There’s beauty in simplicity, and Rosaluna Mezcal is the most beautiful of all.
Do you know what else is beautiful? Waking up after a night out, not feeling like a bloated, headachy, sugar blob. Out with the additives, in with the Mezcal.
The next special element of this one-of-a-kind cocktail is kombucha.
Kombucha originated over 2,000 years ago and has long been praised for its healing properties. Despite always being known for its health benefits, kombucha only significantly gained traction in the 1990s. Its boom in popularity followed the publishing of The Art of Fermentation, a book written by a leading fermentation expert. (We’ll dive deeper into the benefits of fermentation in the next section).
Aside from the health benefits of this bubbly tea, kombucha also contains a little alcohol of its own. It’s a very small amount, somewhere between 0.5-1% alcohol-by-volume (ABV), but still. It’s a sign—a kombucha cocktail is a match made in heaven.
The final feature that makes this recipe so great is the fact that it’s, well, a cocktail. We don’t have a scientific explanation for this; cocktails are just the freaking best. Even the bad ones still manage to bring some good energy and happy vibes (at the very least). Fun is healthy for the soul. Kombucha is healthy for the gut.
Cocktail, but make it healthy? Done.
Fermentation All Around
Fermented foods are underrated AF. Fermented foods promote gut health, support immunity, aid in digestion, correct pH levels, and so much more. Luckily for us, both Mezcal and kombucha (the two star ingredients) are fermented. LFG.
Fermentation is a natural process in which microorganisms (yeast and bacteria) work to break down and convert carbohydrates (starches and sugars) into alcohol or acids. This final result of alcohol and acid is what gives fermented products that element of zing or tartness.
Kombucha is fermented in and of itself. It's made by adding live bacteria and yeast (known as SCOBY) to sweetened tea before allowing a few weeks for fermentation. The final result is a bubbly, slightly sweet, slightly tart beverage. Kombucha typically contains close to one billion probiotic organisms at the time of bottling—that’s a lot of good bacteria.
Fermentation also happens to be the fourth step in our Mezcal making process. Fermentation is where we start building alcohols—it can take up to eight days and is well worth the wait.
Cocktails are often bubbly anyway, so why not choose one with both bubbles and benefits?
Probiotic Power
Think cocktail, but with a probiotic punch!
We know it sounds too good to be true, but this recipe is truly jam-packed with probiotic goodness. The term “probiotic” is derived from the Greek words “pro” and “bios,” literally meaning “of life.” We already knew cocktails gave us life, but this element of probiotic power takes it to a whole new level.
Probiotics work to boost our immunity and promote our gut health by fighting the bad bacteria and repopulating our stomach with the good bacteria types. These good bacteria do things to the foods we ingest that our digestive system can’t do on its own. For example, probiotics help encourage the absorption of B vitamins, such as biotin and folate. These B vitamins then help convert food into energy, support healthy hair and skin, and promote brain function—very important stuff!
You probably never believed a cocktail could be this wonderful. Honestly, neither did we...but we’ve never been so happy to be so very wrong.
Citrus and Mezcal Are a Match Made in Heaven
Seriously, guys... citrus and Mezcal were made for each other. We honestly can’t believe we didn't think of this sooner.
Mezcal offers a layered and perfectly complex flavor experience, spotlighting profiles of earthy agave, a complex aroma, and a smooth finish. We’d like to draw your attention to the complex aroma: with notes of citrus, tropical fruits, pineapple, and pear, Mezcal provides all of the bright notes you could ever ask for.
Mezcal’s smoky yet non-intrusive essence allows for citrus notes and agave flavors to shine through harmoniously. It’s essentially a citrus symphony featuring layers of smoke, spices, and even caramel.
It isn’t a coincidence that Mezcal’s top recommended pairings are sweet desserts with tropical fruit, chocolate, or caramel flavors; citrus and Mezcal are a match made in heaven. Without further ado, let's make this cocktail.
Throw a Party in Your Mouth
Given this is the perfect summer get-together drink, this recipe is appropriately portioned for 3-4 servings.
What you’ll need:
- 12 oz Kombucha
- 6 oz Fresh grapefruit juice
- 4 oz Mezcal Rosaluna
- 2 oz Fresh orange juice
- 2 oz Agave syrup
- 1 oz Fresh lime juice
- Garnish: Fresh mint leaves, grapefruit slice, and Topo Chico to taste
How it’s done:
- In a large container, combine the grapefruit, orange, and lime juice
- Mix in the Mezcal and stir in the agave syrup
- Evenly pour the Mezcal citrus juice blend into glasses with fresh ice
- Top with 3-4 oz of kombucha and add Topo Chico to taste (and for some extra fizz factor)
- Garnish with fresh mint leaves and a grapefruit slice
Are you already familiar with Topo Chico, or should we give a quick introduction? Topo Chico is a Mexican sparkling mineral water. It has an incredibly crisp, perfectly fizzy, no-calorie taste and it’s also believed to assist digestion (and even help with hangovers). Topo Chico even comes in flavors of grapefruit and lime (which is a sign from the universe, if you ask us).
Other than that, the only way to further elevate this cocktail experience is to enjoy it with good company. Mezcal Rosaluna was built with everyone (and no one) in mind, and its respective cocktail recipes follow that same motto. Cheers!
Sources:
Coronavirus is changing what we eat: Americans 'craving comfort food' | USA Today
Why This Spirit Is Considered The Healthiest Alcohol | Forbes
Can Mezcal Grow Its Way to The Mainstream Without Losing Its Roots | Vine Pair
Is Kombucha Healthy? Here’s What Experts Say | Time
