This ginger citrus mocktail recipe is a breezy and bright addition to my Functional Mocktail Series! Here, mocktail recipes don’t just take out the alcohol. We add in a bunch of health benefits that balance our blood sugar, support our immune system, give us glowing skin, and so much more. To ring in citrus season, this healthy mocktail recipe uses juicy and sweet Sumo Citrus which would be perfect to serve at a Springtime brunch, BBQ, or picnic!
Sumo citrus season is HERE, which is arguably the best time of the year for making healthy mocktails. If you’ve been in our Healthier Together community for a while, you may have been shaking up a Functional Mocktail with me for every season, like the Pumpkin Orange Saffron Fall Mocktail or the wintery Cranberry Rosemary Mocktail. There’s SO much science about the negative health impacts of alcohol on our bodies and minds that literally no one is talking about (I even did a 3-part podcast series on it featuring world-class doctors which I get into below)! We cover the impacts of alcohol on gut health & cancer, its affects on hormones & brain health, and a therapist’s best tips on how to drink less and have more fun. If you haven’t listened to it yet, I highly encourage you to do so as you’re making this recipe! This mocktail will make you forget you’re not drinking alcohol and just enjoy having a good time. Plus, it’ll support your immune system while you do it!
I’ve been an intentional drinker for about a year and a half now, and in August, I mostly stopped drinking all together. The catalyst for me was a study in The Lancet, an incredibly well respect scientific journal, about how alcohol is the number two leading cause of cancer, right after smoking. SAY WHAT?? I knew alcohol impacted my liver, but cancer?? Why weren’t people talking about this??
I decided then and there to create this special three-episode series where I had some of the world’s leading doctors and experts on to discuss the impact of alcohol on our hormones, brains, guts, and cancer. Then, in week 3, I was joined by a therapist to answer all of YOUR questions about drinking less: how to navigate the social elements, how to feel calm without it, and so much more. Here’s exactly where you can find those episodes:
- The Health Effects of Alcohol on Gut Health & Cancer with Dr. Robynne Chutkan & Dr. William Li
- The Health Impacts of Alcohol On Hormones & Brain Health with Dr. Aviva Romm & Louisa Nicola
- How To Drink Less Without Feeling Boring, Judged, Or Stressed with Therapist Amanda E. White
What is Sumo Citrus?
I am obsessed with Sumo Citrus. You truly haven’t lived until you’ve tried its wedges sprinkled in cinnamon or dipped in chocolate! It’s essentially an enormous mandarin orange, which is even its tagline. It’s beloved for its seedless, easy to peel, not messy, and incredibly sweet citrus experience. It’s known as “dekopon” in Japan, and its harvested in California. You can recognize it by the bump on its top which is adorably called a “top knot”. You can check out the farms that grow Sumo Citrus in California here.
What makes this mocktail recipe immune boosting?
In this mocktail recipe, we blend Sumo Citrus with fresh ginger which is constantly cited by doctors on the Healthier Together Podcast for its immune supporting and anti-inflammatory benefits. Then, we top that mixture off with apple cider vinegar and ginger kombucha which both have probiotics. And probiotics aren’t only good for making you poop–science shows they play a HUGE role in immune health. Bonus points that the ACV and kombucha offer that “funk” of alcohol that makes this mocktail taste like an actual Spring cocktail.
Ingredients in this Ginger Citrus Mocktail
This healthy mocktail features Sumo Citrus, fresh ginger, apple cider vinegar, kombucha, and a hint of paprika-spiced honey that’s the perfect Spring drink to serve at your next sunny brunch or BBQ.
Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Sumo Citrus
- Fresh ginger
- Apple cider vinegar
- Ginger kombucha
- Sea salt
- Paprika
- Honey
Can I add alcohol?
Sure! You can turn this mocktail recipe into a healthy cocktail for Spring with digestive benefits by adding your choice of liquor to the mocktail mixture. I think these ingredients would play nicely with vodka, tequila or mezcal.
Can I use other citrus in this recipe?
If you have sumo citrus available (they’re available in grocery stores January through April, so go hunt ’em down!!), you won’t want to miss this sweet, delicious, and completely seedless experience. But if you’re making this past mocktail recipe when this delicious citrus fruit is out of season, you could substitute it for mandarin oranges, tangerine, or any kind of orange that you’d want to experiment with!
More healthy drinks for Spring
Lavender Haze Digestive Mocktail
Blackberry Chamomile Tea Mocktail
Healthy Virgin Spicy Watermelon Margarita
Print
Ginger Citrus Mocktail with Honey Pepper Rim
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 3 peeled sumo citrus
- 1 thumb fresh ginger (no need to peel)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1–2 tablespoons honey
- Ice
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar per mocktail
- A bottle of ginger kombucha
Instructions
- Blend Sumo Citrus and ginger until homogenous. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove fiber. This will make about 2 cups of juice, enough to make four mocktails.
- On one plate, stir together salt and paprika. Spread the honey out on a second plate.
- For each mocktail, dip the rim of the glass into the honey so there’s a thin coat along the edge. Then, dip it into the paprika salt mixture.
- To each glass, add ice, 1/2 cup of the citrus ginger juice, and 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. Top them off with ginger kombucha. Gently stir and enjoy!
