Mocktail Monday: Sparkling Citrus Fizz for Valentine's

It seems that everywhere you look, you're bound to find an abundance of citrus gracing our winter season, and I absolutely love it! The citrus family oozes with some of my favorite color palettes from the subtle soft blush tones of pomelo and grapefruits, the warm peachy hues of kumquats, and the ruby red flesh of blood oranges, it's really a kaleidoscope of ombre deliciousness that's perfect to usher in your Valentine's celebrations.

Whether you're single or taken, Valentine's Day should simply be a day to celebrate the people you love, romantic or otherwise. During college, when the hubs and I were in the throws of a long-distance relationship, my Valentines were always my girls, and to this day, I'm so happy I have those memories to cherish. I've long believed that you should always, always surround yourself with amazing girl friends---the ones who will hold your hair when you puke, bring you tubs of ice cream when that fool breaks your heart, or simply laugh with and listen to you when you need it most.  No matter how much you love your significant other, cherish your children, or enjoy your career, you'll always need the helping hands and wittiness of smart, passionate, and inspiring girl friends to enrich your life.

In celebration of love this week, I'm featuring some simple, but refreshing citrus mocktail recipes that not only celebrate the bounty of the season, but would also be great for a cocktail (or mocktail) party. If you are opting for cocktails, I would suggest that you add in a few splashes of your favorite sparkling rosé wine or prosecco and serve it up in some lovely champagne flutes, but most importantly, make sure you toast to all the lovelies in your life. I know I will.

Sparkling Grapefruit Fizz Mocktail | via Chandara Creative

Sparkling Blood Orange Fizz Mocktail | via Chandara Creative

Sparkling Kumquat Fizz Mocktail | via Chandara Creative

Sparkling Citrus Fizz Mocktail
Adapted from Pink Grapefruit Fizz recipe via Absolut 
Serves 1

Ingredients - Sparkling Grapefruit Fizz

• 3 oz sparkling grapefruit juice, chilled
• 1.5 oz fresh squeezed citrus grapefruit juice
• 1 wedge grapefruit, thinly sliced 

Ingredients - Sparkling Blood Orange Fizz

• 3 oz sparkling blood orange juice, chilled
• 1.5 oz fresh squeezed blood orange juice
• 1 wedge blood orange, thinly sliced 

Ingredients - Sparkling Kumquat Fizz

• 3 oz sparkling grapefruit juice, chilled
• 1.5 oz (15-20) fresh squeezed kumquat juice
• 1 kumquat slice

• Instructions:
• 1. Fill glass with combo of sparkling & fresh citrus juice of choice, mix & stir well. Garnish with a wedge of grapefruit/blood orange/kumquat and enjoy!
• NOTE: If you're going to turn this into a cocktail, top with 2-3 splashes of your favorite sparkling rosé wine or prosecco and serve it up in tall Champagne flutes! Cheers! 

Mocktail Monday: Meyer Collins

When it comes to memorable cocktails, I've always been a huge fan of hand-crafted libations where half the time you spend drinking the liquid concoction, you actually trick yourself into thinking you're doing something good for your liver. I guess this is where mocktails can truly shine because it's my grown-up version of juicing, if you will. This week for Mocktail Monday, allow me to indulge you with my version of the classic Tom Collins, or what I like to refer to as my Meyer Collins Mocktail.

This drink is inspired from my hey days lounging with some girl friends at a local jazz club in San Francisco's Upper Haight neighborhood, namely, Club Deluxe. This was post college, so imagine my reaction when I heard of the club's name, which brought me back to those college clubbing days when girls don their skimpiest outfits and wait in lines that snake around the block only to have their buns freezing for hours before entering a dirty dark nightclub where the music is being blasted so loud that you can never expect to hold a decent conversation, much less get a decent drink that doesn't taste like watered-down cough syrup.

On the contrary, Club Deluxe is a neighborhood jazz lounge where you can sway to the rhythm  of soothing live jazz music from local artists, and nosh on artisanal pizzas, all while sipping a highball glass of their house-crafted Spa Collins, a refreshing libation oozing with the spicy sweetness of ginger syrup, the cooling flavors of fresh cucumbers, the tartness of lime, and an herbal infusion of freshly muddled mint sprigs. While I haven't been back in quite some time and frankly, never really knew the actual makeup of this drink, my tastebuds can still recall the flavors so vividly. So, when my good friend and purveyor of meyer lemons decided to pay me a visit this past week, I couldn't resist the urge to share it with you. My version is aptly named the Meyer Collins, and it's my tribute to this season of abundant citrus. Cheers!

Meyer Collins Mocktail
Inspired by the Spa Collins of Club Deluxe, San Francisco
Serves 2

Ingredients
• 12 fresh mint leaves
• 2 tbs ginger simple syrup (recipe below)
• 1.5 oz or 1 shot glass fresh meyer lemon juice
• 1.5 oz or 1 shot glass fresh orange juice
• 3 slices cucumber
• Club soda or sparkling water
• Ice, cubed & crushed
• Garnish with extra cucumber slice, mint sprig, and/or lemon wedge
Instructions

1. Muddle mint leaves and cucumber slices in the bottom of a glass.

2. Fill 2 glasses with ice cubes and add in meyer lemon juice, orange juice, and 1 tbs ginger simple syrup.

3. Stir gently, and top it off with a splash of sparkling water or club soda. Now, layer on the crushed ice and another 1 tbs of the ginger simple syrup.

4. Garnish with fresh mint sprig, cucumber slice, or lemon wedge and you're all set! Enjoy!

Ginger Simple Syrup Ingredients
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbs ginger, peeled & chopped
Instructions 1. In a small sauce pan, stir together the water and sugar and bring to a boil under medium high heat. 2. Once sugar dissolves, remove from heat and mix in the ginger. Allow ginger to steep in syrup for 10-15 minutes. 3. Strain out the ginger, and allow syrup to cool to room temperature.  Transfer to a glass container and store in the fridge.

Mocktail Monday: Rambutan Mojito

Mondays are always tough, but certain Mondays are a cause for celebration, namely one like today that is dedicated in remembrance of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man who lived his life with such passion and tenacity in his pursuit of social justice for all; a man who reminds us to dream bigger each day; and a man who continues to inspire so many of us in the power of courage and conviction.  His indelible mark on the Civil Rights Movement and the impact he's made on the freedoms that many of us enjoy today are nothing short of significant, and I, for one, am grateful that such a man walked this Earth. To this day, re-reading Dr. King's Letter from Birmingham Jail still gives me goosebumps.

So, in honor of Dr. King, please join me in a toast as I kick off a special feature of Mocktail Mondays starting with this refreshing Rambutan Mojito Mocktail to celebrate my love for this hairy little friend that I've missed so much from my island days.

It seems like only yesterday I was perusing the street stalls of Honolulu Chinatown in search of the perfect bunch of these ruby red furry little fruits packed full of sunshine.  I know they can be scary at first sight, but rest assured my foodie friends, this fur ball is not to be judged by its outside. After you peel off its furry red exterior, you'll be rewarded with a sweet and juicy fruit that will make you wish you could be whisked off to a tropical island to enjoy a cocktail (or in my case, a mocktail) or two. I get ridiculously excited whenever I can score a handful of fresh rambutans to peel and eat, which is exactly why I'm even more elated to share this recipe with you. And if you don't need to axe your alcohol, then by all means pour in your favorite rum or gin to spice things up a bit!  I insist. Cheers!

A snapshot of me surrounded by fresh Rambutans flown in from Hilo | Honolulu Chinatown, HI

Rambutan Mojito Mocktail | via Chandara Creative

Rambutan Mojito Mocktail
Adapted from Lychee Mojito Recipe courtesy of A Cup of Mai
Serves 1

Ingredients
• 12 fresh mint leaves or 6 mint sprigs
• 1/2 oz simple syrup or agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp superfine sugar
• 3 fresh or canned rambutans (2 to muddle, 1 for garnish)
• 1 oz rambutan syrup (reserved from the canned rambutans)
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• Club soda or sparkling water
• Ice
Instructions 1. Muddle sugar, mint leaves, and rambutans in a glass. Add in crushed ice, agave nectar/simple syrup, lime juice, and rambutan syrup.  Stir and top it off with a splash of sparkling water or club soda. Garnish with fresh mint sprig and rambutan. Enjoy!