This sort of falls into the Whatever Department. But some people (you know who you are) give social drinking a healthy slant by ordering or making cocktails that pack the punch of a multivitamin.

 

This may be the same crowd that has studied the overall health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption. These include a possible reduced risk of: heart disease, heart attack, stroke, gallstone and diabetes.

 

Bloody Marys were the first to be lauded for their superbly high Vitamins C and A content. And at 681 mg of potassium per serving, it’s like sipping black-eyed peas through a straw.

 

 

Algonquin Bloody Mary (recipe serves 1) via

 

2 oz Vodka
4 oz Tomato Juice
Juice of 1/2 Limes
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
6 dashes Tabasco Sauce
Salt
Pepper
1 Lime wedge

 

Add vodka, juices and sauce to a
shaker with ice, adding salt and pepper to taste. Shake vigorously. Strain over ice cubes
into a highball glass and add a lime wedge

 

Tip: stick with real lime juice as opposed to bottled, which can have added sugar. Also, go for the larger Persian limes. The little round ones are key limes and will be more tart.

 

The blueberry-lime margarita can claim disease-preventing photochemicals. Yum.

 

 

Blueberry Lime Margarita (recipe serves 2) via

 

2 cups ice
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup blueberry nectar
1/4 cup seltzer
2 tablespoons frozen limeade
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 ounces tequila, optional
1 lime wedge
Coarse salt
Combine ice, blueberries, blueberry nectar, seltzer, limeade, lime juice and tequila, if using, in a blender and blend until smooth. Rub rim of 2 glasses with lime wedge and dip in salt. Divide the margarita between the prepared glasses and serve.

 

Tip: blueberry nectar is worth the five-and-a-half bucks. You can find it in the natural foods aisle of most grocery stores; more likely at a natural foods store.

 

And a kiwi-mint julep boasts folate and fiber — 4 grams of fiber!  — which is sure to help you feel fuller longer so you can stop at one.

 

 

Kiwi-Mint Julep (recipe serves 2) via

 

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup hot water

2 cups ice

3 kiwis, peeled

2 tablespoons frozen limeade

2 tablespoons. chopped mint

3 ounces bourbon, optional
Dissolve sugar in hot water in a 1-cup measure; let cool slightly. Combine ice, kiwis, limeade, mint, the sugar mixture and bourbon, if using, in a blender; blend until smooth.

 

Tip: the “optional” bourbon may make this drink an antioxidant slam dunk. It’s been argued that the anti-cancer properties in whiskey may be more powerful than those found in red wine.

 

Finally, if following a recipe isn’t your thing, Mike McAdams of healthy-cocktails.com has this catch-all to a healthy tall glass of something: make a smoothie! Use banana, papaya, orange juice, berries, pineapple…whatever, throw it in a blender and spike it with vodka. Voila!

 

Who knew your evening cocktail could be part of your anti-aging regimen? And who drinks these things, anyway?

 

That will require further investigation. All we know is that most such sippers match their drinks to their outfits. That’s a blog entry for another time.