Sure, a glass of wine or a beer is a nice way to unwind, but every now and then, you deserve a happy hour that's a little more...hmmm. What's the word? Refined! We love sharing a new cocktail — or in this case, a mocktail — with you every week that can be made at home with recipes that are both easy and delicious! This recipe is courtesy of Pacific Medical Center.
This festive combination of orange, lime and spices are reminiscent of fall, with the additional ginger flavor providing warmth. It's easy to make a double batch for your next fall celebration!
Ingredients
Concentrate Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice (1 to 2 oranges)
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (1 to 1.5 limes)
- Orange peel from 1 orange
- Lime peel from 1 lime
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns (lightly crushed)
- 5 cardamom pods (lightly crushed)
Mocktail Ingredients:
- Ice
- 1/3 cup concentrate
- 1/3 cup ginger beer of choice or ginger kombucha, ginger seltzer or diet ginger ale (for sugar-free option)
- Lime or orange wedge (optional, for garnish)
How to make it
For the concentrate:
- Juice the orange and lime and keep the peels
- Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small saucepan (juice, peels, peppercorns, cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks)
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down to a simmer until liquid has reduced by half (this should take roughly 3 to 4 minutes)
- Remove from heat and use a strainer to separate out the solids as you pour the mixture into a glass jar
- Cool down in the refrigerator for about 1/2 hour or store until ready to use
For the mocktails:
- In a glass with ice, combine 1/3 cup of concentrate and top off with your ginger drink of choice
- Mix gently and add garnish, if desired
Recipe modified by PacMed dietitians from www.zevia.com.
