Organic Cocktails

Try these tasty—and healthy!—cocktails from master mixologist Joe McCanta, owner of Pursip, a catering and food-and-beverage consulting company. (See "Three Cheers for Organic" in the January/February 2010 issue of Natural Solutions for more recipes.)

Organic Mulled Wine
3 oranges
3 lemons
1 lime
1 cup Bramley and Gage Organic Quince Liqueur
2 cups organic cane sugar
2 tablespoon whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 whole nutmeg berry, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 bottle of high-quality organic red wine (Argentinean Malbec works best; try Jean Bousquet)

Chop all the fruit into wheels and remove as many seeds as possible. In a large (preferably glass) container, cover the fruit with the liqueur and sugar, and stir to coat. Let stand for about 4 hours, stir occasionally. In the meantime, combine all the spices into a spice bag or cheesecloth. Add the wine and spice bags to the fruit and transfer to the refrigerator. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 days, stirring a couple times each day. Strain and transfer to a soup pot. In a medium soup pot, warm over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Top with freshly ground nutmeg, and serve warm or hot.

Kumquat Caipirinha
4 whole kumquat
1 1/2  tablespoon organic brown sugar syrup*
1/4 cup Albelha Organic Brazilian Cacacha
Ice to fill
1 teaspoon homemade grenadine**

Muddle 3 of the kumquats with brown-sugar syrup and grenadine. Add cacacha and ice, and shake vigorously for a slow 10 count. Pour into a rocks glass. Slice remaining kumquat lengthwise and hang on glass for garnish.

*Brown Sugar Syrup
Over medium heat, bring 1 cup water and 1 cup brown sugar to a slight boil to reduce. Stir continuously until sugar dissolves. Cool in a glass container and store, refrigerated.

**Homemade Grenadine
Reduce 1 cup fresh pomegranate juice with 3/4 cup organic white sugar and add in 1 1/3 tablespoons organic vodka. Cool in a glass container and store, refrigerated.

Lacey Langston
1 1/3 tablespoons James White Organic Pear Juice
2 1/2 tablespoons Duskin Pure Braeburn Apple Juice     
6 tablespoons Albet I Noya Organic Cava
Splash Briottet All-Natural Framboise
Fresh raspberries (for garnish)

Make sure juices are very cold. In a mixing glass, stir together juices and cava until slightly frothy. Pour into a champagne flute, and drizzle the framboise in the center of the drink to add a splash of color. Garnish with 3 fresh raspberries floating in the center.