Since the Vegan Foodie is off on a vacation of Diddy-like proportions, I’ll be your vegan-eats-and-drinks pinch hitter. Although my diet consists largely of coffee, beer, and vegan snack products, I’m going rogue on you and discussing a topic important to all our hearts these days: late-summer, light and healthy cocktails. If you’re like me, a summer of beer and bbq is starting to take its toll. Perhaps, like me, you feel full, gross, and wrong, but aren’t quite ready to hang up your fun hat. To make matters worse, back to school season looms (more than looms – it’s here!), but summer’s not quite ready to relinquish its choke-hold on the Northeast. Before we break out the spiced cider and pumpkin ales, here are some quick, easy, not-terrible-for-you cocktail ideas:
Lazy Girl Lemonade
1 oz vodka
1/2 a bottle Honest Ade Cranberry Lemonade
Snazzy Ice (see below)
Lime or lemon wedges
Instructions: Here’s why this is great for lazy people. Fill a pint glass about halfway with ice, splash in your vodka, add the lemonade, stir. Throw in some lemon or lime wedges. I’m sure this is even yummier when shaken in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and strained over the ice in the glass, but dang if I’ll ever find out! I’m not busting out my cocktail shaker for nobody but guests!
Variation: Diet Lazy Girl Lemonade: Instead of an all-lemonade cocktail, use one part lemonade, one part Poland Spring (flavored) Sparkling Water. I like Lime and Raspberry-Lime best, but I suspect all flavas would work well here. No fake sugar, no super-shady ingredients, half the calories!
What about budget-friendly boozing? Many weekends of summer revelry might be taking their toll on your wallet, or maybe you dipped into your slush fund for school supplies. I don’t know. But here’s what I do know: St. Germaine is delicious, but expensive.
Poor Man’s St. Germain Cocktail
1 oz vodka (strawberry or raspberry flavored, if possible)
1 oz Elderflower syrup (Ikea is the best source for this, but it looks like Amazon might stock something similar. I’ve never tried it, so I can’t vouch for its yum factor)
1 oz fresh lemon juice (to taste)
Club soda, sparkling water, or tonic, if you go that way
Small splash champagne or sparkling wine (optional)
Instructions: Here a cocktail maker is ideal, but not necessary. Combine vodka, syrup, and lemon juice in a shaker full of ice, and shake shake shake it. Strain into a (tall) highball glass, top with the sparkly water or your choice, and top off with bubbly, or more water if you want. Stir, drink, and congratulate yourself on saving $30.
Snazzy Ice:
When you’re low on supplies, maybe it’s time to get creative with your ice. For example, I had a ton of cucumbers from my CSA share, and a girl can only eat so many salads. So, I seeded and finely diced a cucumber, packed the diced cuke into an ice cube tray, added enough water to cover the cuke without overflowing, and popped ‘em in the freezer. This turned out to be a great way to snazz up gin and tonics, as well as the above-mentioned lazy girl lemonade. I also imagine that this would pair well with a limeade scenario. And why stop at cukes? Mint, basil, lemon juice, a few drops rose water, hibiscus iced tea – get weird it! Each of these would make a great snazzy ice flavor. As the ice cubes melt, they blend and enhance the flavor of your bev, so it’s like a boozy mood ring for your tastebuds.
Cheers!
