The Liquid Muse

ONE Delicious & Healthy Drink

Every once in a while, even the most ardent cocktail lover reaches for a thirst quenching, healthy, nonalcoholic beverage. Water is great but can be a bit, well, dull. Ice tea is fine but kind of blah. Sodas don’t hold much interest to a more refined adult palate. What to do?

Why not pack an 11-ounce single serving of Coconut Water in your gym bag? Or add a carton of Cashew Juice to your lunch? Perhaps, some antioxidant-rich Açai Juice, or a little sip of Coffee Berry will tickle your fancy? Each of these is available to you from ONE beverages, a healthful alternative for the thirsty-yet- environmentally-conscious consumer.

ONE was started in 2005, and has a lot of things going for it. Besides intriguing (and tasty) pre-packaged drinks, ONE supports the Brazil Foundation (committed to preserving the Rain Forest) and Healthy Child Healthy World (dedicated to protecting children from harmful environmental exposures).

Additionally, ONE has an eye toward renewability and conserving fossil fuels by packaging the drinks in paperboard, whose wood fibers (accounting for about 70% of the Tetra Pak carton) come from responsibly managed forests. (Each tree cut down for use is replaced with a new one.) And, of course, they are recyclable.

I was especially excited to try the Coconut Water and Açai Juice as one of the recipes in my new book “Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-To-Be” calls for them. This Preggatini™comes from the section on CelebriBaby Preggatinis®:

Kingston Krush
(© 2008 Natalie Bovis-Nelsen, excerpted from “Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-To-Be,” Globe Pequot Press)

Ska/pop star and designer diva Gwen Stefani and her hunky hubby Gavin Rossdale rock more than the music studio, as proven by their expanding family. With baby Zuma stealing the spotlight, this drink was created in honor of big brother Kingston, one of the coolest little kiddos in the public eye.

3 ounces coconut water (or 2 ounces coconut milk)
2 ounces açaí juice (or pomegranate juice)
1/2 ounce ginger-infused simple syrup
1/4 ounce lime juice
1/2 teaspoon coconut flakes

Pour all liquid ingredients into a mixing glass, shake with ice, then strain into a cocktail glass. Sprinkle with coconut flakes.

*Photo of Kingston: Flynet