Sweet & Spicy Sippable Mocktail with Mango, Cinnamon, and Honey (recipe)
I don’t have a name for this mocktail, it’s just something I came up with while mixing things in my kitchen one night and it turned out so good, I had to share! If you’ve been craving something that kinda-sorta tastes like mead, but also has that warm spicy twist from cinnamon, and a hint of the tropics from mango and orange, you’re going to love this one. There was no particular inspiration behind the recipe, I just thought the ingredients would taste good together, and they did. 🙂
The two main highlights are Gnista Floral Wormwood non-alcoholic spirit and Liquid Death Mango Chainsaw sparkling water.
Gnista (the word means “spark” in Swedish) is the brainchild of Erika Ollen, who wanted to give everyone the opportunity to experience learning to love difficult, grown-up spirits, even if you avoid alcohol. Kind of like how most people didn’t quite get that first sip of whiskey, but in time learned to appreciate all the subtle flavors. Floral Wormwood is a very unique N/A spirit because it has a highly complex flavor profile that actually resembles fine liquor without the added alcohol. The ingredient list almost looks like alchemy! We have rhubarb, beet syrup, rose water, dried fruits & spices (raisins, ginger, oak, wormwood, chamomile, pepper, lovage), extracts made from vodka (almond, orange, oregano, juniper, star anise, habanero), and botanical distillates of orange peel, star anise, and juniper. There’s a lot going on here, and it tastes like it, too – every sip you discover something new. It’s absolutely delicious on its own served on the rocks, and also shines in mocktails. The brand is not that well-known in the US yet, but you can get a bottle at The Zero Proof.
Liquid Death Mango Chainsaw cans looked at bit too edgy for my taste but I bought some after reading the ingredients, because I love mangoes and oranges. For all my fellow sparkling water lovers, this is like an elevated version of Lacroix. It’s really flavorful and somewhat sweet from the agave, but not too sweet. The company strives to be more environmentally-friendly and donates a portion of the proceeds to help reduce plastic pollution. Each case also features an original piece of artwork on the outer box, which is pretty neat. It’s not really my style, but I really like the idea of promoting up and coming artists that way.
Ingredients (for 1 cocktail):
- 2 fl oz (4 tbsp) Gnista Floral Wormwood
- Liquid Death Mango Chainsaw, just enough to cover the ice (alternative: 3 parts club soda, 1 part mango juice, 1 part orange juice)
- For garnish: honey, coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, persimmon slice (you can use mango or apple or pear), cinnamon sticks
Instructions:
- Pour a small amount of honey on a small plate, mix coconut sugar and cinnamon on another small plate. Prep the glasses by dipping the rims first in the honey and then in the sugar mixture.
- Add ice, fruit slices, and a cinnamon stick to each glass.
- Slowly pour in Gnista Floral Wormwood and top it off with enough Mango Chainsaw to cover the ice cube, but do it carefully, so the flavors don’t mix right away.
Enjoy!
