berry margarita

You know at the end of yoga class, when you finally get to relax, and let you mind go blank? This is just about the best part of the class for me, and I’ve gotten really good at turning off my brain. (I’m must better at brain-turn-off than at head stands or crane pose). But somehow yesterday, I couldn’t find the off switch. Try as I might, all I could think about was what cocktail I was going to make that night. I guess I needed something stronger than yoga to unwind.

Anyway, having been to the farmer’s market at Circo Massimo this past weekend, I knew I had a half dozen bottles of home made fruit nectar waiting at home. So, while lying in corpse pose, I devised what I thought would be a perfect combo: blackberry and gin. I guess I associated the black of the berries with the dark juniper berries that flavor gin (I’m always about the color, even when it’s only implied)

All this would have been perfect, I’m sure, except that somehow the blackberry nectar hadn’t made it into my basket. Red currant, kiwi and japanese pear, yes, but no blackberry. I did, however, manage to get one bottle of mixed berry juice, which was a deep purple color that made me think…..Margarita!

Actually, there is no explanation of why I went the tequila route, but I’m glad I did. The berry juice was very thick, astringent and just slightly sweet. And since I hate those ‘frozen’ margarita concoctions, the natural thickness allowed me to drink it straight up, while still having that beachy fruity drink thing going on.




Berry Margarita

2.5 oz tequila
1/2 cup farmer’s market berry nectar
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice*
5 mint leaves for muddling, plus 1 sprig for garnish
ice

Place mint leaves and tequila in a cocktail shaker and muddle.
Add rest of ingredient, except sprig of mint, and shake well.
Strain into wine crystal wine goblet, garnish with mint. 

*lime would be even better, but I didn’t have any.

More ‘healthy’ drinks: Farmer’s Market Cocktails