Homebrew Underground

This is an unusual recipe for a thirst-quenching non-alcoholic drink. It’s sort of like a fizzy non-alcoholic margarita. It is made with fresh squeezed lime juice and fresh squeezed lemon juice and sweetened with Stevia and blue agave syrup. Blue agave syrup is a healthy alternative to sugar because it is natural, it is lower in calories than sugar and has a low glycemic index.

This is another non-alcoholic drink made with fresh squeezed lime juice and sweetened with blue agave syrup. Blue agave syrup is a healthy alternative to sugar because it is natural, it is lower in calories than sugar and has a low glycemic index. Cranberry juice concentrate is available online from a few sources. It is 4 to 5 times more concentrated as regular fruit juice – depending on the brand.

This is another non-alcoholic drink made with pomegranate juice concentrate, fresh orange juice and club soda. It is naturally sweetened so no additional sweetener is needed. Pomegranate juice concentrate is available online. My favorite brand is FruitFast from brownwoodacres.com. It is highly concentrated. Normally, water would be added to make pomegranate juice, but in this recipe club soda is added. It is loaded with antioxidants and is very delicious.

Blue agave syrup (also called agave nectar or blue agave sweetener) is made from the blue agave plant grown in Mexico. It is much sweeter than sugar and more healthy because it has a lower glycemic index than sugar. It is similar to honey – being very viscous although it is less viscous than honey plus it dissolves quickly in cold beverages. Depending on how it is processed, it can be light or dark amber in color.

Blue agave syrup is made from the same plant that is used to make tequila (the blue agave plant). In fact, when used as a sweetener in a non-alcoholic drink with lime juice, lemon juice and club soda, it seems to impart some of the unique flavor of a Margarita.

Stevia extract is a natural sweetener that is 300 times sweeter than sugar. A couple of our recipes in previous posts used to have Splenda in the ingredients list, but in light of some recent findings about possible health risks, we have replaced Splenda with Stevia because we feel it is a healthier choice.

According to SplendaInfo.com "Splenda is not a natural product and is not grown or cultivated as a natural product would be." Stevia, on the other hand, is a plant extract and although not without some controversy, is clearly a better, more health conscious choice.

The Cranberry Cooler is made with homemade Amaretto Liqueur (or DiSaronno Originale), vodka, cranberry juice and orange juice. It is a fruity cocktail that is served in a highball glass. Use 100% cranberry juice and fresh orange juice for best results.

This is a classic cocktail that you can bottle as a ready mix. It makes a really great gift. This recipe uses homemade Orange Kumquat Liqueur (or substitute with Cointreau), 100% blue agave tequila and fresh lime juice. You will need to obtain some 750 ml wine bottles. I used screw top wine bottles for my project (with plastic tops) because it was convenient for me. I don’t have a corker and the screw tops make a good seal.

I used Puerto Vallarta Blanco Tequila (100% blue agave tequila). It is also a good idea to strain the fresh squeezed lime juice through a small strainer when adding it to the mix. I used the smallest size strainer in the photo here. Straining the lime juice is necessary to remove the pulp. This is truly a premium Margarita cocktail. The Orange Kumquat liqueur has a unique, distinctive flavor that adds a special character to this drink recipe.

I also made a custom label with some directions on how to prepare the cocktail. Look for the custom label template and layouts in a future page in the Bottles and Labels section of the website. Also check this page for the seals (hoods).

You can find 750 ml wine bottles from most homebrew supply that sells winemaking equipment and supplies. You can search for "wine bottles" in Google to find many sources.