Grapefruit Jalapeno Mocktail

I usually drank alcohol to "treat" myself, like a cookie (or four) you eat after being healthy all day. The weekend was always a treat from my working week. And the weekend started on Thursday and lasted until Sunday. Going out to a brewery or having fancy cocktails or wine with dinner seemed like living it up. Except that drinking actually made me feel horrible, both physically and mentally. It sure didn’t feel like I was “living it up” the next day, in a low mood or with a headache. It took a long time to learn this though because my subconscious continued to associate alcohol with positive things like rosé all day and wine Wednesdays. We have been conditioned for years to glamorize alcohol and it takes a lot of introspection on our own experiences to see it for its faults. Today, I continue to treat myself, just with healthier alternatives.

This mocktail is very low in sugar and is made with fresh citrus juice. If you enjoy cooking and discovering new flavors, making mocktails is a fun way to explore different combinations and fresh ingredients. Like bitter sweet grapefruit with spicy jalapeno. Or maybe you were already an amateur mixologist to begin with—quitting alcohol is no reason to give up making beautiful craft [soft] cocktails. 

Recipe: 

Juice of one large grapefruit

Juice of half a large lemon

1 teaspoon grenadine

6 slices of jalapeno or serrano pepper

Mix the juice of the grapefruit, lemon, grenadine, and three slices of jalapeno on ice in a shaker. Pour in a beautiful glass and garnish with three jalapeno slices.