Reaching out on the first day of February to keep us drinking mindfully past Dry January. Derek Brown and Natural Vitality have teamed to create bespoke, deliciously-crafted, magnesium mocktails perfect for every social occasion that would normally include alcohol. These are the chicer and more elevated older sisters to the Sleepy Girl Mocktail.
While Derek has a ton of his own accolades (see below), Natural Vitality's CALM Magnesium has been a fan favorite for some time. Celebrities including Lenny Kravitz, Ashley Graham, and Julia Bowen have all named the product as one of their "favorite things" when speaking to New York Magazine. It was also named one of the Best Magnesium Supplements of 2023 by Vogue Magazine.
See below for a handful of cocktails created by the award-winning mixologist as we'd love for you to feature them in an upcoming mocktail story.
DEREK BROWN'S BESPOKE MAGNESIUM CALMTAILS:
Resolution on the Rocks
One Serving / Double Rocks Glass
You swore off carbs and dairy, but your roomie just showed up with pizza, and it’s looking dicey for that New Year's resolution. Before you cave to the craving, mix up this blend of pineapple, grapefruit, and Calm to ensure cooler heads prevail.
Ingredients:
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1 oz Calm Cherry, diluted
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1 oz. Tart Cherry Juice
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.25 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
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4 oz. Ginger Beer
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Garnish: Maraschino Cherry, Lime Wheel
Instructions:
Dilute Calm as directed on the package. Allow Calm to cool. Combine the ingredients in the glass, add ice, stir, and garnish with a lime wheel and maraschino cherry.
Rent is Way Too Highball
One Serving / Highball Glass
Two weeks into 2024 and even inflation is inflated. Have you seen what a studio apartment is going for these days? The cost of living is bananas, so here’s an equally, fruity highball mixed with Calm to help you take the edge off.
Ingredients:
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1 oz Calm Unflavored, diluted
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1 oz. Fresh Pineapple Juice
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.25 oz. Lime
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4 oz. Grapefruit Soda
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Garnish: Pink Salt Rim, Half Grapefruit Wheel, Pineapple Frond
Instructions:
Rub lime on the outside of the rim of the glass. Roll in pink salt to create a salted rim. Set glass aside. Dilute Calm as directed on the package. Allow to cool. Combine the ingredients in the glass, add ice, stir, and garnish with a half grapefruit wheel and pineapple frond.
Doomscrolling Daiquiri
One Serving / Coupe
You wanted to unwind with your phone and wound up scrolling through headline after headline of upsetting news. And let’s not even get into the comment section. It’s time to unplug from social media and mix up a refreshing daiquiri with the relaxing effect of Calm.
Ingredients:
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1 oz Calm Sweet Lemon, diluted
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1.5 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
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1.5 oz. Ginger Syrup
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.5 oz. Egg Whites or Aquafaba (chickpea water)
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Garnish: Edible Flowers
Instructions:
Dilute Calm as directed on the package. Allow to cool. Add ingredients in a shaker, add ice, and shake. Strain liquid into the glass and garnish with edible flowers.
Work’s a Total Spritz Show
One Serving / Wine Glass
Back-to-back meetings, budget cuts, and unruly schedules. You just got back to the office and (surprise) work is a total sh*t show. Luckily, there’s a spritz you can sip at your desk to help you get through the day.
Ingredients:
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1 oz. Calm Orange, diluted
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1.5 oz. Ritual Aperitif Alternative (or San Pellegrino Aranciata)
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2 oz. Non-alcoholic sparkling Wine (such as Surely Brut) (or 1.5 oz of San Pellegrino Aranciata
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2 oz. Soda Water
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Garnish: Orange Peel
Instructions:
Dilute Calm as directed on the package. Allow to cool. Combine the ingredients in the glass, add ice, stir, and garnish with an orange peel.
Tired of Faking It Fizz
One Serving / Sour Glass
When you’ve been giving the performance of a lifetime instead of getting to the finish line, it’s time to mix things up. Namely, lemon juice, blue pea flower tea, honey syrup, and the relaxing power of Calm. I’ll have what she’s having.
Ingredients:
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1 oz. Calm Mind Honey Chamomile Diluted (2oz/1/2 tsp)
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1 oz. Ritual Gin Alternative (optional)
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1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
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1 oz. Blue Pea Flower Tea* (or an additional ounce of sparkling water)
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2 oz. Sparkling Water
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.75 oz. Honey Syrup**
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Garnish: Lemon Wheel
Instructions:
Dilute Calm as directed on the package. Allow to cool. Add lemon, honey, (and gin alternative) in a shaker, add ice, and shake until chilled. Pour liquid into a glass. Top with blue pea flower tea and soda water. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
*Make Blue Pea Flower Tea as directed on the package.
**Make honey syrup by adding hot water to honey, 2 parts honey to one part water. Allow to cool.
--
“Of all the pillars of wellness, perhaps the one that came the least naturally to me as a bartender–– and yet has the greatest impact––is sleep. I mean, I used to get off work at four in the morning. So, I’ve had to incorporate a number of strategies to sleep better from a winding down routine to taking supplements like magnesium. This is a far better bet for creating quality sleep than alcohol or other sleeping aids. And it works in cocktails, too. I created these CALMtails to stand in place of alcohol and help you relax and wind down, too. It could even be a nightly ritual: making a CALMTail every night after dinner. The ultimate nightcap!” - Derek Brown
About Derek Brown
Derek Brown is the mixologist/bartender and entrepreneur behind the award-winning, Washington D.C.-based bars, Columbia Room, The Passenger, Mockingbird Hill, Eat the Rich, and Southern Efficiency. He also serves on the board of directors for the Museum of the American Cocktail, is the Chief Spirits Advisor for the National Archives Foundation and has been featured in publications including, GQ, Esquire, Bon Appetit, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, and more!
While Derek has created some of the best bars in the nation, he's also a big advocate for taking caution when consuming alcohol. As the author of Mindful Mixology, a comprehensive guide to no- and low-alcohol cocktails, he has been named “the face of the mindful drinking movement in the U.S."
Derek is also a NASM-certified wellness coach, and the founder of Positive Damage, Inc., a company dedicated to creating a culture of mindful drinking and making room for everyone at the bar with delicious no- and low-alcohol drinks.
Thrilled to discover mocktails on the menu at Good + Bar. The orange, cherry, and lemonade blend sounds refreshing! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteShouldn't you know if your own cocktails are refreshing? ;)
ReplyDelete