Colorful Mocktails: The Heartbreaker

While I was on a previous Summer break, I did a lot of eating and drinking. A LOT! The Home Chef Extraordinaire outdid himself with all sorts of fresh, healthy, colorful foods so you can expect to see more of his tasty recipes added to my Colorful Eats series.

Somewhere in between food gorging and taste testing, I got the bright idea to experiment with spirits, mixers and garnishes to see if I could create some beverages that would live up to the very high standard set by the culinary wizard. Wine.com and other places for the ingredients for tasty libations were bookmarked and favorited for easy access because each drink I came up with always seemed to require a whole new set of ingredients. One night, my kitchen island looked like a fully stocked bar in a nightclub!

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You should know that I don't drink alcohol. That's right, I'm a non-imbiber and I have spent a lot of my adult life trying to find restaurants and bars that don't treat those of us who choose to not to indulge like kids or even worse, outcasts with only the standard Shirley Temples, juices and sodas amongst their limited offerings.

Pre-Covid, mocktails were starting to become trendy, with some innovative spaces dedicated to the non-alcoholic lifestyle popping up all over the country. From exotic herbal elixirs to spirit alternatives, booze-free living no longer has to be boring and monotonous. 

I wanted to share a few of my successful liquid experiments with you so Colorful Cocktails will be a new blog series featuring beautiful concoctions that I've imagined and even a few standards that I've reimagined. The first drink on the menu is called the The Heartbreaker.

It was a drink originally created in honor of Valentine's Day (hence the name) and you can find variations all over the web but my spin is a bit unique. It's pale pink in color and a bit on the sweet side so I recommend serving it for showers, brunches or afternoons on the deck. And please feel free to substitute your favorite alcoholic spirit for my spirit alternative. Check out the recipe below!

The Heartbreaker

makes 1 serving

Ingredients

1 oz tequila (the Home Chef's favorite!) or tequila alternative (<-- LOVE this!)

1 oz fresh lemon juice

1/2 oz rose syrup (this one is best - vegan and gluten-free!)

ice cubes or crushed ice 

edible rose petals (optional)

Instructions

1. Place tequila or tequila alternative, lemon juice and rose syrup in a shaker with a few ice cubes or crushed ice for a less intense flavor. Shake briefly to mix.

2. Pour into a glass of your choice (these are perfect!) straight or over crushed ice for less intensity.

3. Garnish with a few edible rose petals. Enjoy!

NOTE: Please drink responsibly!

Until next time, raise a glass to living a color-filled life!