I’ve never met a recipe I didn’t like. Now by this, I don’t mean that every recipe I see looks delicious or turns out great. What I mean is, there’s probably no recipe I don’t want to read. I love an expensive cookbook or a glossy food magazine, but I equally love to check out the recipes on the back of the food packaging or the free magazine in the grocery store. Yes, I realize these are basically just product ads, but some of them are really tasty.
I’m not puritanical about making everything from scratch. In fact, I’m super lazy and quite happy to take some help from the store. If something sounds good, I’ll try it, no matter where it comes from. And as a long-time picky eater, I’ll even sometimes try a recipe that sounds good in theory but I don’t necessarily want to eat myself. Any chance to turn a piece of paper or ones and zeroes on a computer screen into something potentially tasty, I’ll take it.
In case you haven’t guessed already, this Santa Lucia Mocktail comes from an ad in one of those free grocery store magazines. It’s a tangy, sweet mix of juices and fancy soda that’s pretty enough to serve at a party for friends who are driving or otherwise abstaining from alcohol. If the idea of a mocktail brings a hard eye roll to your face, I recommend adding a shot of rum to this mixture.
Ironically, my grocery store didn’t have all the ingredients the recipe suggested, so I improvised a bit, but I think it worked out well. The key ingredient is San Pellegrino Limonata, and everything else is open to interpretation. Something peachy, some fresh citrus, and a chilled martini glass puts you on your way to feeling fancy and refreshed.
Don’t be afraid to try something a little low brow. You might be pleasantly surprised. Delicious things come from unexpected places.
- 200 ml San Pellegrino Limonata
- 50 ml orange, peach, passion fruit, mango juice or other peach juice mix
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Ice
- Citrus wedges to garnish
- Add ice water to your martini glasses to chill.
- Pour Limonata and all juices into a cocktail shaker or measuring jug over ice. Shake or stir well.
- Pour out the ice water and divide your mocktail evenly between your two glasses, straining out the ice.
- Garnish with a wedge of fresh lemon or lime.
