Peach Sunrise

 

½ ripe peach, peeled
3 sprigs basil
2 cups seltzer
8 ice cubes, divided
2 tablespoons brown sugar
or melted honey
Juice of ½ lemon
8 drops bitters
1-2 teaspoons grenadine

 

Using a stick blender, blend the peach and one sprig of basil in a 20-ounce plastic cup or shaker with a lid. Add the seltzer, brown sugar or honey, lemon and bitters. Screw on the lid and shake well. Pour into two short cocktail glasses over ice. Gently pour the grenadine into each glass. Garnish each drink with a sprig of basil.

Chocolate Mocktail Martini

 

4 tablespoons cream of coconut
1½ cups almond milk, chilled
1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
2 maraschino cherries, raspberries or blackberries for garnish
1/8 teaspoon imitation rum flavoring

 

Chill two martini glasses in the freezer. Using a stick blender, blend the cream of coconut, almond milk, imitation rum and cocoa powder in a 20-ounce plastic cup or shaker with lid. Pour into the chilled glasses and garnish with fruit.

Lemon Drop

 

1 lemon
2 sprigs basil
2 tablespoons honey, melted
2 cups seltzer
8 ice cubes
½ cucumber, peeled and sliced

 

Chill two martini glasses in the freezer. Cut the lemon in half, and squeeze the juice from one half into a shaker. Cut the other half of the lemon into slices. Add honey, seltzer, half of the ice, and cucumber slices to the shaker. Shake well. Let sit for about 15 to 20 minutes so flavors can marinate.

Strain the liquid over the rest of the ice into the chilled glasses. Garnish with the springs of basil and remaining lemon slices.

Hot Toddy Virgin Sip

 

1 apple, diced
1 bartlett pear, diced
1 small lemon, sliced in half
1/8 teaspoon imitation rum flavoring
16 ounces water
Honey, to taste

 

Cut the lemon in half, and juice one half. Add the lemon juice, apple, pear and water to a small saucepan and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes on medium-low. Strain off the liquid of the simmered fruit into a wide-mouthed jar. Discard fruit. The liquid should taste similar to apple cider. Add the imitation rum flavoring to the hot liquid. Stir.

Pour into two small espresso-style mugs. Slice the remaining lemon into rounds, and garnish drinks with a lemon slice. Sweeten with honey.

Tangerine Basil Drop

 

1 teaspoon grenadine
1 tangerine
8 ounces tonic water
6 to 8 ice cubes
2 sprigs basil

 

Shave off a pinch of the tangerine rind for later garnishing. When shaving the rind, keep each shaving long so it curls slightly. A potato peeler works well for this as long as you keep the shavings thin.

Slice the tangerine in half and squeeze one half into a shaker. Add the tonic water and half of the ice. Shake well.
Pour mixture over ice into two small, short cocktail glasses. Add the grenadine, distributing evenly between the glasses. Garnish with a sprig of basil so the basil is almost immersed in the beverage, adding a light, aromatic flavor. Add the curled tangerine shavings on top or the side of each glass.

Rosemary Kumquat Mocktail

 

2 cups seltzer 
2 tablespoons honey
½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 small sprigs rosemary, divided
1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
6 kumquats, divided
6 ice cubes

 

Squeeze the juice of four kumquats into a shaker. Add lemon juice, leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary, vinegar and honey. Muddle and shake well. Strain the liquid over ice into two martini or small cocktail glasses. Add seltzer to each glass. Slice remaining kumquats in half and drop two in each glass for garnish. Add a rosemary sprig to each glass for a final touch.

Piña Colada Cream Pie

 

Juice from 1 lime
5 ounces canned cream of coconut
1 banana, lightly frozen
2 teaspoons grenadine
1 cup unsweetened almond milk

 

Using a stick blender, blend the banana, cream of coconut, almond milk and lime juice in a 20-ounce plastic cup or shaker with lid. Pour into two mini piña colada or wine glasses. Pour in grenadine, adding from the middle of the glass and circling to create a subtle red swirl. The grenadine will sink to the bottom and create a faded red to white appearance. Serve cold.

Blackberry Gin Cooler (contains alcohol)

 

4 sprigs fresh mint
1 teaspoon sweet fig balsamic vinegar
2 shots Leopold’s or Bombay Sapphire gin
2 tablespoons honey, melted
2 cups seltzer
6 ice cubes
5 blackberries
Juice of 1 small tangerine

 

Using a stick blender, blend the black-berries, honey, tangerine juice, half the mint and seltzer in a 20-ounce plastic cup or shaker with lid. Strain out the seeds while pouring and straining from the shaker into two copper cocktail mugs or short cocktail glasses over ice. Add the gin to each glass.

Finish by adding the balsamic vinegar, stirring lightly and garnishing with the remaining mint sprigs. Garnish with tangerine rind shavings.

 

 

Recipes by Chelsea Glanz