Have you tried Mocktails?

Even though I enjoy a cocktail now and again, I have been finding that it may be causing some of my brain fog and inflammation. I have noticed the last couple of times that after having a cocktail or two, I have brain fog, bloating, indigestion, and just feel like crap the next day.

I hate feeling like crap and not performing my best. With so much on my plate these days, I do not want to add anything to my routines that drags me down. I could barely get my soups made a couple of weeks ago because my brain fog was so bad after an evening of cocktails with friends. I couldn't remember what I had already put in and what I still needed to add. Since the brain fog was so intense, I made a whole pot of duck stew that did not turn out to be edible.

If you have been following along, you know how much I dislike wasting food. Thankfully I was able to feed it to our animals since it was all good ingredients that won't make them sick and packed full of good vitamins. I was frustrated and had to take time to calm down and reflect.

After a meditation session to calm down and reground myself, I decided I did not want to feel like this anymore. I do not need to drink to socialize with others and still have a good time. I can bring other beverages with me or order non-alcoholic ones if I am somewhere that I can not bring my own drinks. With my gut not fully repaired from all the damage I did to it over the years, I feel cutting out the cocktails can aid my recovery.

I messaged my husband to tell him I wanted to try making mocktails. He, of course, said what are mocktails. So I explained them to him. He was like yeah, let's go for it. We are trying to cut out alcohol, so what can it hurt.

I took a trip to Walmart to get some supplies. I am a fan of light bubbles, but not so much, as it does cause bloat if I have too much. I am not a fan of tonic water; I do not care for the taste, But if that is something you like, feel free to adapt these to your liking.

Walking down the drink aisle, I started looking for sparkling water for these mocktails. There was quite a selection of flavored sparkling waters or bubblers. I am not a fruity, sugary drink; I am more of a salty, spicy, tart, or refreshing lover.

I decided on the watermelon lime and the blackberry lemon. These both would fit into my tart taste buds with a hint of sweetness to offset the tart. I then grabbed some produce to go with for extra flavor and garnishing. I had some supplies at home, so I did not need to get a ton. I grabbed some blackberries, a lemon, a muddler, 2 cocktail glasses, and sparkling water. My total for this was $18.10, which will make around 24 mocktails.

I already had watermelon, jalapeno, lime, and ice. With excitement as I drove home, I started planning out how I wanted to mix together my concoctions and have my husband taste-test them with me. I started testing out the mocktails I could make myself to still get the flavors of a good cocktail without the alcohol.

The first one I tried was a spicy watermelon mocktail. I did not measure the amount of watermelon. I know I should have exact measurements to share a recipe so others can make them if I am sharing. The reason I do this is that is how I was taught by my grandmother.

She never measured to a T. She would just throw the ingredients together and add more as needed till she reached the desired consistency or flavor. So that is how I cook. I put some frozen watermelon in the blender, squeezed half a lime in, muddled the jalapenos, and added them. I then poured in one can of the watermelon lime sparkling water and blended that bitch til it reached the desired consistency I wanted.

Ours turned out like a smooth slushie texture. Not too watery and not too thick. Just right to still sip through a straw. If you like a different consistency, add more sparkling water, or do not use a whole can. I used the squeezed limes to run around the rim of the glasses to make them sticky for the tajin on the rim. Tajin is a chili lime seasoning perfect for those spicy drinks you like.

After I got the glasses rimmed, I added a slice of jalapeno to the rim for a garnish and to make it pretty. Who doesn't like all those pretty-looking cocktails with all the garnish? When they are made to look this way, we are drawn to aesthetics.

This one would be great for sitting at a beach or enjoying a delicious Mexican dish. The tajin on the rim made it perfect.

If you are out and looking to order this drink, ask for a virgin spicy watermelon daiquiri. You won't know unless you ask. My husband was somewhat surprised at how well it turned out.

This also helped me be able to order non-alcoholic beverages when I was out. I even dared to ask a few places if they had any mocktails. Because of where I live, only a few places had non-alcoholic spirits. Living in a bigger city may give you more options when out.

The second one I tried was a Blackberry-lemon spritzer. This one was so refreshing and light. It would be perfect on those hot summer days, hanging with friends, or as an evening nightcap. Since it was so light and refreshing, it was the perfect after-dinner drink. It did not weigh me down or feel too full. My kiddos tried this one and said we should make this in a huge pitcher the next time we have a backyard gathering.

Right now, I am enjoying my mocktails when I am craving a drink. As time goes by, I may have one; perhaps I won't. I do not know where I am going regarding alcohol right now. If I feel like I want to have a cocktail during the holidays, I will. If I want to stick to the mocktails, I will do that.

You do not have to drink just because other people are. There is nothing taboo about not wanting to have alcohol. There are also lots of non-alcoholic drinks out there these days. They are not within my budget but if they are in yours, try some out.

With so much information out there that is contradictory to whether or not alcohol is beneficial in small amounts or not, you need to make this call for yourself. Listen to your body. If you can handle a few drinks and have no issues, continue enjoying yourself. If you are anything like me and have issues with alcohol causing inflammation or brain fog, it may be time to cut it out for now.

With only a week and a half till November, maybe now is the time to turn the corner. Let's do a no-drink November. Similar to no shave November. Let's take the whole month of November to not have a single drink and help our bodies heal and detox. You may find that you really like it and decide to continue not drinking, or you may decide that you do not want to cut out alcohol entirely but not have it as often as you have in the past.

If you would like to join me, please post on my Facebook page so we can encourage each other and share mocktail recipes. I would love to connect and grow a community with all of you. Invite your friends and family to join in on this as well. Let's feel our best as we come into the holiday season!

I want to know. What do you think?