Healthy post-Christmas cocktail recipes!

If you’re still suffering the ill effects of a food and alcohol fuelled festive season then you may be in urgent need of a detox this January to revitalize yourself.

Having no doubt already set yourself some optimistic New Year’s resolutions this January, make sure you include consuming spirit-lifting, detoxifying and lower calorie beverages to your list of resolutions. This is especially apt if you can’t quite manage a fully dry January, but still want to reap the health benefits!

Enduring cold, dark January days after an indulgent and relaxing Christmas can certainly be a struggle so warm up or rejuvenate yourself with some of these offerings…

Hot Toddy

To start us off, how about a comforting hot toddy recipe - courtesy of Destinology.

The drink is thought to have originated in Scotland in the 1700’s and is perfect for cold winter nights! It’s even been said to be a cold and flu remedy for winter bugs.

Why not serve yours in an Elite Polycarbonate Latte Glass?

Spiced Gin Flip

It’s a variation on a Flip, which is basically a cold alcoholic eggnog.

• No.3 London Dry Gin
• Double Cream
• 1 Whole Egg
• 2 Cloves
• 1 Crushed Cardamon Pod
• A pinch of Cinnamon powder
• A pinch of freshly ground Nutmeg
• Vanilla Sugar
• Shake all ingredients together very hard. Double strain into a Coupette glass.
• Garnish with Almond flakes and a dusting of ground Nutmeg.

Pick Yew Up

If you’re in desperate need of an energy boost, the Pick Yew Up cocktail could be just what you need! Invented by YEW mixologist Justin Taylor, the drink is coffee based so should hopefully perk you up!

• 49th Parallel Espresso (popular Vancouver coffee)
• Van Gogh Espresso Vodka (infused with fine Italian coffee
• Bailey’s Irish Cream
• Thick chocolate syrup to finish the drink off
• Serve in a Princesa Ballon Wine Glass

Low-Calorie Blueberry Tarragon Cocktail

Courtesy of Savvy Housekeeping and DIY Cocktails, this refreshing drink is low in calories without compromising on delicious flavour!

The addition of tarragon to blueberry creates a taste that is similar to that of adding an expensive liquer to the concoction. The recipe includes real sugar, which means that the calorie intake goes up to 160; but omiting half the sugar can reduce the calories to 145.

Plus, if you are sticking to the strict rules of dry January and abstaining from alcohol completely, you could always miss out the vodka and top up with more club soda – which brings the calories of the drink down to 65!

• 1 1/2 ounces vodka
• 1/3 cup blueberries (one large handful)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoon fresh tarragon
• 1/4 ounce fresh lime juice
• Club soda to top (about 2 ounces, or more to taste)

Muddle all ingredients except club soda at the bottom of a La Rochère Perigod Glass. Add ice and then top with club soda.

Cosmopolitan

Whilst image-conscious Carrie and the girls from Sex and the City quaffed Cosmopolitans like nobody’s business, the drink can still be fairly calorific with the inclusion of sugary cranberry juice. However, the classic cocktail can be altered for the more calorie conscious just by substituting some of the liquer for club soda.

This recipe comes from Bethenney at www.health.com:

Combine in a cocktail shaker -

• 1 shot citrus-flavoured vodka
• 1 splash club soda
• Splash of cranberry juice
• Juice of 1 lime wedge
• Shake well and strain into an Entertain Cocktail Glass

Tiny Russian

Most of us can’t get through the day without drinking a few cups of tea, but have you thought about drinking it during your Friday night out? Probably not, but added to vodka it makes a tasty low calorie cocktail!

Recipe from www.cosmopolitan.com:

• 1½ oz. prepared Numi Earl Grey Tea
• 1½ oz. Van Gogh Oranje Vodka
• Garnish: lemon wedge

• Make tea first by boiling a cup of water. Place tea bag into the cup of freshly boiled water for two minutes.
• Remove tea bag and chill cup in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
• Combine vodka and tea in a tall glass filled with ice.
• Stir, and garnish with a lemon wedge.
• Serve in an Endessa Hiball Tumbler

Botanical Gin Martini

Gin is said to have many health benefits and is also lower in calories than beer and wine. After all, it was developed as an alternative health remedy before it became a social drink.

Gin is flavoured with various natural botanicals. It was actually created unintentionally after a professor of medicine tried using diuretic properties of juniper berries as a cure for stomach complaints.

This recipe comes from www.shape.com:

• Combine the vermouth, gin, and ice in a strainer
• Line the inside of a martini glass with frozen cucumber wheels and place one botanical ice cube at base of martini glass
• Strain the cocktail into your glass, and serve.

To make botanical ice cubes:

• Roughly chop two English cucumbers, leaving seeds and peels intact.
• Combine with 1 oz. of cilantro seeds and one cup of simple syrup (1/4 water 3/4 sugar) in a blender to puree.
• Strain the combination through a fine sieve and freeze in a silicone mold or a container with a wide surface area for shaving ice.
• Serve in a Ypsilon Hiball Tumbler

* * *

So, say no to the January blues and enjoy a healthier start to the new year – whilst still enjoying those much needed cocktails at the end of the working week!