This post was created in partnership with feedfeed and Telula. All opinions are our own.
Two summers ago we visited a floating bar in the middle of the British Virgin Islands that served the best Bloody Marys we have ever tasted. Only accessible by small boats, the steel ship—converted into a two-story restaurant and bar—is regularly filled with smiling customers wearing bathing suits, flip flops, and sunglasses. Once people get a few cocktails to build their confidence, the fun begins and you can watch them jump from the second story balcony into the crystal clear ocean twenty-five feet below. Our brave niece, Stella, who was nine at the time, lost all inhibitions after downing a few Shirley Temples, and decided to jump with the adults.
With cameras and go-pros armed and ready to capture the moment, Stella gazed nervously at the waters below. As our family cheered her on, she clenched her eyes, loosened her grip on the railing, and launched herself from the balcony. It happened suddenly, but her foot slipped as she was lifting off the deck, thrusting her face first towards the ocean. If the bellyflop was an olympic dive, Stella would have scored a unanimous ten for this unplanned performance. The sound of her splash hurts just thinking about it, but thankfully this story has a happy ending.
After much crying and sympathy, she ordered another Shirley Temple, wiped her tears, and found the courage to jump again! This time, she leapt from the balcony like an angel, her toes pointed directly at the ocean like an experienced pro. We will never forget the smile on her face when her head emerged from the water. And we never forget those spicy Bloody Marys that the bartender mixed for us that day. We’ve tried to make them at home, and haven’t gotten it quite right yet, so we had been hoping to try them again on our recent trip to the Caribbean. Unfortunately we didn’t have the same bartender this time, so the search for the perfect Bloody Mary must continue! It says something when a drink you tried years ago can still be so vivid in your mind. This delicious cocktail we are sharing today is like that: with a refreshing combination of summer ingredients, we’ve been drinking it like water around here, and it’s been helping us stay cool during these last few weeks of August.
This light and satisfying beverage is your summer savior. In partnership with feedfeed, we’re working with Telula to create a recipe using their organic juices and after sampling all ten flavors—six fruit and veggie blends and four chia blends—we thought the Green Zing would be a fun choice to base a cocktail around. Made with fresh spinach, cucumbers, ginger, apples, kale, lemon, and celery, this beverage is filled with antioxidants and healthy nutrients. Plus it is cold pressed, so they squeeze their juice with a press, instead of bladed machines that expose the juice to extra heat and oxygen. And you can keep unopened bottles at room temperature, so you save space in the fridge. We added just the right amount of bourbon, honey, and gently muddled mint leaves and the finished product is a cocktail that tastes like a light, minty mountain breeze.
With just four simple ingredients, the Green Zing julep is easy to make. You combine everything in a shaker as you gently muddle the mint leaves, then fill it with ice, shake it up, and that’s it. They are inspired by the flavors of classic mint juleps, garnished with a sprig of mint, and the perfect way to cool off add a little zing to your weekend.
Green Zing Julep
1 1/2 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounce honey
3 to 4 mint leaves
5 ounces Telula Green Zing Juice
mint sprig for garnish
In a cocktail shaker, combine the bourbon and honey. Add the mint leaves, and muddle gently to release the oils without mashing the leaves. Add the Green Zing juice, then fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass, and garnish with a sprig of mint. Cheers!
note:
— To make this vegan, substitute another sweetener like maple or agave syrup for the honey.
— You can buy Telula juices at Whole Foods, Target, Publix, and Kroger. Find a store.
— Legal Drinking Age 21+ only
