Kiwi-Maple Water Summer Cocktail (or Mocktail!)

Cocktail hour can be a welcomed time in the day, but many options can be loaded with sugar and ingredients that we don’t want in our body – think artificial colors or corn syrup.

Happy hour doesn’t have to be unhealthy, though.

With the right ingredients, happy hour can actually be a welcome addition to a wholesome lifestyle – in moderation, of course. 

Using fresh fruit as flavorings instead of pre-made mixes can help you avoid a sugar bomb while fueling your body with nutrients. Kiwi and lime blend well in this cocktail by providing a balance of naturally sweet and sour flavors. 

Instead of using a simple syrup that offers next to nothing in the nutrition department, Drink Simple maple water is used to offer some sweetness along with some gut-friendly prebiotics and electrolytes. Making this simple swap is an easy way to sneak in some extra nutrition without sacrificing taste. 

So whip out your muddler, grab your cocktail shaker, and make this amazingly refreshing cocktail the next time you host a socially-distant happy hour.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 very ripe kiwi, peeled

Juice of ½ lime

1 ounce gin (optional if you prefer the mocktail version)

2 ounces Drink Simple Raspberry Lemon Maple Water

1 cup ice

Splash of ginger beer

Instructions:

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle one peeled and ripe kiwi until juice is visible. 
2. Add juice of ½ fresh lime, gin, and maple water to the kiwi.
3. Add ice and shake.
4. Strain cocktail through the top of the cocktail shaker into a glass. Scoop out some kiwi pulp and add to drink if desired.
5. Add a splash of ginger beer to cocktail before serving.
6. Optional: add sliced kiwi to rim of glass as a garnish. Enjoy!

Written by Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, LD, CLEC

Lauren is a nutritionist and executive committee member of the Women’s Health DPG of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a recipient of the Emerging Leader in Women’s Health Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the author of Fueling Male Fertility. You can find her on Instagram at @fertility_prenatal_dietitian or on her website, Nutrition Now Counseling.

Photos by Jackie Stofsick

Edited by Nancy Chen