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I crafted this super yummy black currant lime martini, because at the end of a long week of I have no idea what day it is anymore days, I want a fancy beverage. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been doing way more baking lately, and I needed to relax a bit.

And, this martini is so versatile, I have a warm hot toddy-like version and a kid-friendly mocktail, too!

The amazing thing about this martini, my version of the quarantine martini, aka Quarantini, is that it (at least the mocktail version) is filled with healthy ingredients that can see you through isolation.

Benefits of Black Currant

Black currant is a powerhouse plant. In fact, it’s similar to elderberry, but doesn’t come with the risk of cytokine storm for those with certain autoimmune conditions suffering from flu.

The kids and I fell completely in love with black currant syrup in kind of a funny way. We were in London at a pub (The Barley Mow) and the kids wanted a fancy drink, too, of course.

Their go-to is Shirley Temples. So Mr. Meaty sidles up to the bar to ask if they know what that is and, unsurprisingly, they don’t. He explains it. The don’t have grenadine, she says (the bartender), but they do have black currant syrup and sparkling water.

And thus, the kids’ new favorite drink was born. And it is delicious. We had it everywhere we went after that and ordered the black currant syrup when we got home.

Little did we know, health food drinks are filled with black currant juice because of their high concentration of anthocyanins, polyphenolic substances, antioxidants, vitamin C, and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).

It’s also amazing for your immune system, can soothe sore throats and ease flu symptoms. And, it can have an anti-inflammatory effect on joints and muscles.

The high potassium levels and GLA can help lower blood pressure. Black currant can also help you recover after exercise.

Benefits of Lime Juice

Limes are my favorite citrus (sorry oranges!). And, bonus, they’re super high in vitamin C and antioxidants.

Limes are immune boosters, reduce heart disease risk factors, prevent kidney stones, aid iron absorption, and promote healthy skin. Lime juice also may reduce inflammation and stimulate collagen production.

Benefits of Honey

We love using honey for sore throats and coughs. A spoonful of honey is way better than cough syrup, for us. We also make lozenges out of honey that are super awesome.

Honey also is antibacterial, it can be stored indefinitely in a sealed container on a shelf and keep itself stable. Ancient honey would still be delicious as long as the jar is intact. Crazy, right?

Honey has been show to fight e. coli and salmonella. Manuka honey even fights the bacteria responsible for peptic ulcers, h. pylori.

Honey has been used to fight skin sores and inflammation and even wounds that don’t respond to antibiotics. And it’s high in antioxidants, so it will also fight oxidative stress and inflammation.

Benefits of Cinnamon

Ahh, cinnamon, how I love you. The main reason I use cinnamon is for its anti-inflammatory properties. This is super important when you have a chronic autoimmune condition. But it does so much more! Cinnamon is high in cinnamaldehyde, which is the compound responsible for its smell and its impact on metabolism and health.

Cinnamon is super high in antioxidants, outranking even garlic and oregano on the super food spices list. It can even be used as a natural preservative because its antioxidants are so high.

Cinnamon also cuts heart disease risk, reduces levels of total cholesterol and bad LDL, while leaving good HDL cholesterol unchanged or increased, and could reduce blood pressure.

Cinnamon can also improve sensitivity to insulin, lower blood sugar levels, have beneficial effects on neurodegenerative diseases, may protect against cancer and helps fight bacterial and fungal infections.

Benefits of Carbonated Water

The primary benefit of carbonated water, for most of us, is the avoidance of high fructose corn syrup-filled sodas. But, sparkling water has its own health benefits, too.

My other question about carbonated water was whether it was still hydrating since it was carbonated. It turns out that it is. The carbonation does make sparkling water slightly more acidic, but it won’t change the pH of your body, because your kidneys filter out the acidity from the carbonation. And the water is still just as hydrating as regular filtered water.

Carbonated water can also improve digestion. It can improve your ability to swallow, may increase your feeling of fullness, and may help relieve constipation.

Now, once you add the sugary syrups and vodka, it’s not as healthy as plain water, but it’s not as unhealthy as packaged sodas that are filled with unpronounceable ingredients and high fructose corn syrup. 🙂

Black Currant Lime Martini

Ingredients

1 ounce creme de cassis (or black currant syrup for mocktail)

1/2 ounce lime juice

1 teaspoon honey (omit for mocktail)

1 1/2 ounces vodka (omit for mocktail)

cinnamon sugar for rim of glass

carbonated water (I make mine at home with my Soda Stream, but bottled bubbly water works, too)

Method

Mix all black currant lime martini ingredients in a shaker except the carbonated water.

Pour into martini glass rimmed with cinnamon sugar.

Add carbonated water.

Serve your black currant lime martinis.

For a hot version: leave out carbonated water. Add ingredients to a tea or coffee mug. Add boiling water. Serve.

The Super Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook

Want vegetarian and vegan recipes you’ll love? Check out my first cookbook! I’m so excited about it and I hope you’ll love it. You can find more information about it right HERE.