In a world of premixed mixers and neon-hued cherries, it’s not often that you spot a cocktail recipe that touts itself as good for you — let alone an entire cookbook of them. “Cocktails without regrets” is what celebrity bartender Brittani Rae and chef and nutritionist Ariane Resnick were aiming for with their “Thinking Girl’s Guide to Drinking” (Regan Arts, $25).
Los Angeles-based Rae was hailed as “bartender of the year” by Eater L.A. and “best female bartender in America” by Elle magazine, so there’s considerable cred behind the book’s mixology. The health part revolves around removing the high sugar, additives and artificial flavors so often found in mixed drinks, instead subbing in ingredients with positive nutritional properties. Among them: green juices, fresh ginger and kombucha, for example, and lemons and limes, which Resnick — the author of “The Bone Broth Miracle” — calls “nutritional powerhouses of liver detoxification.”
That may be pushing it a bit, but the book is definitely fun, with some mocktails — including an If Wishes Were Green citrus-sage spritzer — as well as high-octane sips.
We’re not sure we’d feel entirely guilt-free with anything that sounds as enticing as a Marigold Pleasure — 2 ounces bourbon with 3/4 ounce each orgeat and fresh lemon, plus marigold petals — but after the first one, we’re sure we can rationalize pretty much anything.
