Woo hoo, it’s cocktail time! This is the first spirited libation to grace this corner of the internet, and hopefully not the last. It’s just that cocktails intimidate me a little bit. Ok, a lot bit. It seems like this whole other world that has its own language and culture and fancy people and I just don’t fit in. So, we’re going to dip a (clean) toe into the wide world of mixology together today, ok? And boy do I have a trick up my sleeve to help.
I’m all about DIY when it comes to making kitchen staples (you can see some examples of that here), but seeing as how I’m a cocktail newbie, I need things to be simple. Luckily, my blogger buddy Raquel introduced me to a wonderful brand of cocktail mixers that she found at her local farmer’s market in California. Would I be interested in trying some flavors? Why yes, yes I would! And so it was that a box arrived at my house with two full bottles of YES Beverages cocktail mixers, in the Grapefruit Thyme and Blueberry Basil flavors that I picked out to try. The label alone got me excited to get mixing. Here’s what I came up with for my first cocktail recipe. 🙂
When I started thinking about what I could do with the Grapefruit Thyme mixer, it didn’t take me long to decide that turmeric needed to be involved. I mean, turmeric is SO HOT right now. I wouldn’t be a food blogger if I didn’t pay attention to stuff like that, right? Seriously, though, I do love it and use it for all of its detoxifying and antioxidant powers, and this won’t be the last time it makes an appearance here. And then as for what to mix the mixer with, I opted for a citrusy prosecco, because it’s just on the edge of being fancy, and that’s about all I could handle. And then I went and put it all in a mason jar. Could I be any more clichĂ©? I don’t care. I love mason jars and I probably always will. Anyway…let’s make this thing.
In a wide mouth quart size mason jar, mix 1 teaspoon of turmeric with 3/4 cup of the Grapefruit Thyme cocktail mixer. If you want to amp up the fresh flavor even more, add the juice of one grapefruit and a few sprigs of fresh thyme, add cup or two of ice, top it with a lid, and shake shake shake.
Fill two pint size wide mouth mason jars with a cup of ice each, and then strain the mixture evenly into each jar. To strain, use a fine mesh strainer over a funnel, or even better, a sprouting lid (if you grow sprouts at home, you’ll already have one!).
Top off each jar with some prosecco or sparkling water, and voilĂ ! You have yourself an almost-fancy mason jar filled with a sweet-tart bubbly mix of summer! The turmeric really does give it that sunny color, doesn’t it? Vida would say it’s her daddy’s favorite color, Sunset Orange. 🙂
Grapefruit Thyme Turmeric Sparkler
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup YES Artisan Beverages Grapefruit Thyme Cocktail Mixer
- 8 ounces prosecco or other sparkling wine of your choice (such as Cupcake Vineyards Prosecco)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 4 cups ice (divided)
- Optional: 1 fresh grapefruit (juiced, and several sprigs of thyme for garnish)
Instructions
- In a quart size mason jar or similar container, stir or shake together the cocktail mixer, turmeric, and ice, along with the grapefruit juice and theme, if using.
- Strain over 1 cup of ice in a pint sized wide mouth mason jar or similar size glass.
- Top with each jar with prosecco, stir, and garnish with a slice of grapefruit and sprig of thyme. Note that the turmeric may settle to the bottom over time, this is expected.
Make it a mocktail!!
- Swap out the prosecco for a citrus-flavored sparkling water, such as Grapefruit LaCroix Sparkling Water.
Sarah says
June 9, 2016 at 5:01 pmI’m easy to please—I’ll take anything with Vodka, duh! I really do love Lemon Drops and Cosmos—my sweet husband introduced me to them when he met me in a bar and found me ordering whiskey and coke because I didn’t know how to order anything else. What would I do without him? I also like dessert cocktails—sweet and creamy! Your grapefruit cocktail looks perfect for summer—we’ll definitely try it!
Raquel @ My California Roots says
June 9, 2016 at 8:23 pmThis looks amazing, Beth! I bet it was so good with the turmeric & prosecco. This is definitely on my list to try!
Bryan W Robertson says
September 8, 2016 at 4:27 pmHi Beth, I’ve been reading some of your recipes and can’t wait to try them; especially this Grapefruit Thyme Turmeric Sparkler. I have bottle of turmeric I purchased last year after I was given a cough recipe by a bank guard one day while standing in line at the bank. He is originally from India, and seeing and hearing how miserable I was from coughing with the flu, he handed me a card where he had written down the recipe. I tried it, and it really worked. Now I have two recipes with turmeric; one for the summer and one for the winter. LOL… The recipe is: one cup of milk, 1/2 Tbls turmeric, mix and heat to just before boiling, add 2 Tbls honey, let stand for about a minute, drink. It really does soothe a sore throat. Safe for children to drink as well. I have really enjoyed reading your blog…
Beth says
September 23, 2016 at 12:40 amHi Bryan! I’m so sorry for the delayed response, I’ve been playing catch-up on comments after a summer break. What a nice man to give you that recipe! Thanks for sharing it with me! Turmeric is truly amazing. Hope you’ll let me know when you try the sparkler! 🙂