You guys, it has been SO gloomy here in Toronto. As Kid Rock would say,“I haven’t seen the sunshine in 3 damn days.”Truth be told I’ve noticed that my mood is starting to suffer from this less than cheerful weather so you can imagine my excitement when Sunkist recently invited me to spend an evening getting refreshed and pepped up with all things citrus. Citrus is obviously an amazing source of the powerful antioxidant vitamin c, so it’s something you should be trying to incorporate in to your diet frequently, but did you also know that smelling citrus can actually boost your energy and pep up your mood? Count me in! As you guys probably know by now I absolutely love creating and serving up cocktails, and while I don’t recommend drinking too many of these if you’re feeling down (perhaps try the virgin option I’ve also added below) this drink is not one to pass up if you are a fan of the subtly sweet Meyer lemon. The combination of citrus and the sweet ginger syrup and elderflower liquor meld together perfectly to create a bright and cheerful drink that is ideal to serve up during these dreary winter days.
Ps: Make sure to head on over to the Sunkist website where there are so many useful tips about how citrus can be used for things like cleaning, beauty and wellness. Thanks to wellness expert Abbey Sharp, I love the idea of throwing the used lemon rinds from this cocktail into a slow cooker with some water, oranges and cinnamon sticks to make a slow cooker potpourri that will have your house smelling amazing all day long.
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed Sunkist® Meyer lemon juice
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1/2 ounce elderflower liqueur
- 1/4 ounce ginger syrup
- 2 ounces sparkling wine
- dried Sunkist Meyer lemon wheel
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp ginger
- For the Dehydrated Meyer lemon wheel
- 1 Meyer lemon, sliced
- 1 1/2 ounces freshly squeezed Sunkist® Meyer lemon juice
- 3/4 ounce elderflower cordial
- 1/4 ounce ginger syrup
- dried Sunkist Meyer lemon wheel
- Pour Sunkist® Meyer lemon juice, vodka, elderflower liqueur and ginger syrup into a cocktail shaker.
- Shake for 10 seconds.
- Pour into a coup glass and top with sparkling wine.
- Garnish with a dried dehydrated Sunkist Meyer lemon wheel
- in a small saucepan, bring water, sugar and ginger to a boil
- reduce heat and simmer on low for about 15 minutes
- remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature
- cover and put your syrup in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Thinly slice Meyer lemons and lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Bake on the lowest setting on your oven (mine was 170f) for 5 hours or until the Meyer lemons are crisp and dehydrated (like a lemon chip)
- Pour Sunkist® Meyer lemon juice, elderflower cordial and ginger syrup into a cocktail shaker.
- Shake for 10 seconds.
- Pour into a coup glass.
