Guys, it’s Day 16 of Whole30, I’m past the halfway point but I was missing my cocktail shaker more than my mom missed me when I moved away to university. (JUST KIDDING MOM! It’s not possible to miss anything that much)
I decided to take matters, and by matters, I mean my cocktail shaker, into my own hands and come up with a diet-compliant zero proof drink that might make me forget about the sweet, sweet taste of alcohol.
I love blood oranges – it’s hard to think of a more photogenic citrus fruit and the rich ruby red juice lends a beautiful hue to to everything it touches (just don’t let it anywhere near your clothes). But blood oranges aren’t just a pretty face, they taste great too.
Given that Whole30 forbids all sweeteners – honey, maple syrup, agave nectar included – the biggest challenge was coming up with a mocktail that would taste good in the absence of any sugar/syrup.
I used rosewater to bring a floral component into this drink, balanced by the lemon juice and the natural sweetness of the blood orange juice. The sparkling water prevents any element from overwhelming the palate. On the whole, this is a tart and subtly floral non-alcoholic beverage.
The rosewater is a distinctive and unexpected component – I don’t think I’ve featured it on the blog since my very first recipe post: The Eastern Mess. If you WERE planning to indulge, a splash of gin would pair beautifully with this range of ingredients.
While I’m feeling steadfast in my resolve at this point in the journey, I have been debating what my first drink will be when I’m allowed to imbibe again on the 29th.
As you know, if you’re a regular reader of this blog, I don’t discriminate when it comes to spirits and will try anything once. I would be hard-pressed to pick just one favourite cocktail but I do love me an old fashioned. I’m thinking about fat-washing some bourbon in brown butter a couple days before I’m done the challenge to allow the bourbon to infuse with that richness and then using it to make myself a very special old fashioned on the 29th.
Open to other suggestions or ideas – drop them in the comments section below!
Blood Orange Rosewater Mocktail
- 1 oz blood orange juice, freshly squeezed*
- ½ oz lemon juice
- ½ oz rosewater
- 3 oz sparkling water
- 3 raspberries, for garnish (optional)
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Combine blood orange juice, lemon juice, and rosewater in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a tumbler filled with a couple cubes of ice. Top with sparkling water. Garnish with raspberries skewered onto a cocktail pick.
*If blood oranges are not in season, you can swap in pomegranate juice instead.
