Start off 2018 right with ‘healthy’ cocktails

It’s a new year and, as the saying goes, time for a new you.

Like so many others who’ve made resolutions and are working hard to keep them, I have found myself wanting to make a change for the better with the beginning of 2018.

But I’d still like to indulge a little with a tasty beverage — a challenge while trying to maintain a CrossFit regimen or CorePower Yoga routine.

It may be a stretch to think of a cocktail as a health drink, but some newfangled ideas for healthy drinking can be used to add nutritional benefits to your aperitifs. These drinks can also be enjoyed without the alcohol.

The mule continues to be one of the most called-for craft cocktails of our generation. The downfall to the mule is the exorbitant amount of sugar in the critical ingredient, ginger beer.

Here is a way to satisfy your ginger-cocktail craving without consuming the sugar equivalent of a Coca-Cola. If you don’t have a juicer, fresh-pressed ginger juice can be purchased from Whole Foods Market or Down to Earth.

SCRATCH GINGER MULE
By Chandra Lucariello

• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1/2 ounce fresh ginger-honey syrup (see note)
• 1/2 ounce agave nectar
• 2 ounces vodka (such as Absolut Elyx)
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 ounces club soda
• >> Garnish: Thin lime wheels and ginger, thinly sliced lengthwise.

>> Note: To make syrup, combine 5 parts honey to 1 part hot water. Add equal amount of fresh ginger juice.

Combine lime juice, syrup, agave, vodka and bitters in copper mug. Fill with ice and top with club soda.

A couple of years ago, aloe drinks started exploding on the market, to the point that they can even be found in some convenience stores. But these mass-appeal, sweet soda alternatives are a far cry from pure aloe juice, with its bright acid, earthy notes and very dry finish.

This cocktail pairs the brightness of aloe with fresh cucumber and sweet golden pineapple juice, all wrapped up in a fun tequila package.

HOME ALO-NE
By Chandra Lucariello

• 2-1/2 ounces cold-pressed pineapple juice
• 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1/4 ounce cucumber juice
• 1 ounce aloe vera juice
• Pinch sea salt
• 1/2 ounce high-quality triple sec (such as Combier Liqueur D’Orange)
• 1-1/2 ounces blanco (unaged) tequila (such as Casa Noble Crystal)
• >> Garnish: Aloe leaf and thin pineapple wheel.

Combine ingredients in mixing glass with ice. Shake and strain into bucket glass filled with more ice.

Ginger and turmeric have become mainstays at smoothie or juice bars. The combination can be potent but delicious when balanced properly. The spice of ginger here is tamed with sweet carrot juice and fresh lemon, and given a tiki edge with Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters, which lend a heavy cinnamon note.

I suggest using an American-style gin, which has a more citrus or floral tone, compared with the classic London dry style.

WHAT’S UP, DOC?
By Chandra Lucariello

• 1-1/2 ounces carrot juice
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice
• 3/4 ounce ginger syrup (such as Pacifikool Hawaiian)
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 dashes Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters
• 1-1/2 ounces turmeric-infused American-style gin (such as Aviation or No. 209; see note)
• >> Garnish: Carrot with top.

>> Note: To infuse gin, combine 1/2 cup cleaned and chopped turmeric with a 750-milliliter bottle of gin. Let sit at least 24 hours, until potency is to your liking. Strain out turmeric.

Combine ingredients in mixing glass with ice. Shake and strain into highball glass filled with more ice.

Bulletproof coffee seems to be all the rage, with its promise to bring mental clarity and digestive benefits without a sugar crash. If you haven’t tried it, the stuff is pretty awesome. It keeps cravings at bay by keeping your body satiated with “healthy fats.”

I find I have increased focus after enjoying some and seem to be working at the speed of light. The drink is a bit viscous, which is why I stretched it with some almond milk.

Think of this as the hipster cold-brew Irish coffee.

DODGING BULLETS
By Chandra Lucariello

• 3 ounces Bulletproof Coffee cold-brew mocha
• 1-1/2 ounces vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 ounce coffee liqueur (such as Patron XO Cafe)
• 1-1/2 ounces Irish whiskey (such as Jameson Black Barrel)
• >> Garnish: Fresh whipped cream, grated cinnamon and cinnamon stick.

Combine ingredients in blender with ice. Blend and pour into highball glass.

Nutritional information unavailable.

Chandra Lucariello is director of mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits. Ingredient note: The liquors and liqueurs used in these recipes are widely available from Oahu liquor stores and some supermarkets.