If only cocktails were really health tonics, the world would be a brighter and happier place. Nobody’s trying to claim that alcoholic beverages are the ideal way to get your vitamins and minerals, but you can definitely feel better about what you’re drinking when you make these 10 creative superfood cocktails. Get the recipes for drinks containing unexpected ingredients like beets, watercress and chia seeds below.
Beet-Infused Vodka and More
The vibrant purple pigments in beets are antioxidant betalains, which may help prevent cancer and other degenerative diseases. Beets are also filled with vitamins A, B and C as well as folate. The earthy flavor of beets is balanced by ginger liqueur and smoky scotch in ‘The Cure-All,’ one of three beet-filled cocktail recipes you can find at Serious Eats. Beets are also a popular enhancement for bloody marys – learn how to make your own beet-infused vodka at Country Cleaver.
Acai Blueberry Mojito
Similar in flavor to blueberries, acai burst onto the health food scene in the mid-2000’s, prompting a rush on cases of the juice. This reputed superfood harvested in the rainforests of brazil contains 10 times more antioxidants than grapes, amino acid complexes, phytochemicals and trace minerals. While acai-infused vodkas are commercially available, it seems as if you could get more benefits from making cocktails using the juice. Check out the acai berry cosmopolitan at Vixi.com.
Coconut Water Hangover Prevention
Since coconut water is renowned for being a great hangover cure, replenishing lost fluids and potassium, is it an ideal ingredient to add to mixed drinks? Maybe so – in any case, it can’t hurt. Food from Flossie has a recipe for a delicious-sounding drink mixing it with pineapple, vodka, lime and mint. Get 9 more coconut water cocktail recipes from Wine Enthusiast.
Kale Cocktails
A kale cocktail? Yes, it might sound strange, but adding greens like kale to alcoholic drinks is becoming a more common practice as mixologists get creative with healthy ingredients. Serious Eats has three ways to enjoy this vitamin-rich vegetable in cocktail form including a kale collins, kale pineapple basil smash, and kale ginger daiquiri.
Watercress and Elderflower Martini
Reputed to be the ‘world’s number one superfood,’ watercress is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet and contains a wide variety of phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C and beta-carotene. Mixologist Robert Merhavy created the ‘watercress and elderflower martini’ to celebrate the delicate flavor of these greens, enhancing it with a bit of lime and gin.
Turmeric: Masala Moonshine
Turmeric is well known for its inflammation-fighting abilities, offering incredible benefits for people with arthritis, diabetes and other ailments. Curcumin, the active ingredient that gives this root its vivid orange hue, may even help prevent heart attacks and fight cancer. Try it in ‘Masala Moonshine,’ a concoction by Good Booze that mixes fresh turmeric juice with whiskey, triple sec, citrus, mint and club soda.
Yerba Mate: Pisco Sour
Customarily served in a gourd, the beverage known as yerba mate is an infusion of the plant of the same name in hot water, sometimes sweetened and mixed with fruit juice. It’s rich in antioxidants, amino acids and polyphenols in addition to vitamins and minerals. Try it in the Yerba Mate Pisco Sour by San Francisco-based Pisco Trail.
Camu Camu: Mix with Pisco
A close relative of the guavaberry, camu camu has an extraordinarily high vitamin C content. The fruit of this riverside tree found in the Amazon rainforest is extremely acidic on its own and must be blended, sweetened and diluted in milk or water. The bottled juice can be found at most vitamin shops, and is often incorporated into a cocktail called the camu camu sour along with the Peruvian brandy known as pisco.
Chia Seeds: The Chia Fresca
A one-ounce serving of chia seeds contains 11 grams of dietary fiber, 4 grams of protein, and 18% of the recommended daily intake of calcium as well as lots more vitamins and minerals. They’re often tossed into smoothies, cereals and granola bars, and produce a gelatin-like substance when wet, making them an ideal egg replacer. In Mexico, they’re mixed with fruit and sweeteners to make drinks called agua fresca. Food Republic adds Vida Mezcal and Aperol to create an alcoholic version.
Sea Buckthorn: The Buckthorn Bruise
The tart orange berries of the sea buckthorn plant, which grows wild throughout much of Britain, are packed with vitamins C and E as well as antioxidants. With a flavor reminiscent of passion fruit, this superfood is practically begging to be incorporated into a cocktail. Thankfully, mixologist Jeffery Morgenthaler is on the case with ‘The Buckthorn Bruise,’ a creative drink blending the fresh berries with white rum, bitters, lemon juice and a syrup made of Verdejo wine.


