Spring has officially arrived, which means it’s time to trade in our warm brews for cool refreshers. The sun is out, birds are chirping and flowers are blooming. What better way to spend the beginning of spring than to sip on an ice-cold drink?
It’s time to embrace a new seasonal beverage. We scoped out the scene in Tri-Village to peek at which establishments have already released their new spring sips.
This season we are particularly interested in superfood lattes. Offered in Easter egg-like colors, these lattes come in many flavors like pink rose, matcha vanilla bean, majik mint and turmeric. Superfood lattes can be made either hot or iced and boast many health benefits.
While the colors are totally Instagrammable, these lattes do not contain any food dyes and have all-natural ingredients. The pink rose latte contains beets which gives it a bright pink shade. The majik mint is blue and has a crisp minty flavor.
“Not everyone likes the sound of beets,” jokes Madison Cullman, chef and store manager of the Alchemy. However, the taste of beets is barely recognizable with a mixture of rose water and turmeric. These superfood lattes may help with issues such as anxiety, depression, concentration and more.
“The pink rose latte is designed to reduce stress and anxiety, while the majik mint helps with concentration,” says Cullman.
If superfood isn’t your style, consider an interesting twist on drinks with mixtures of hibiscus mocha and honey lavender. These drinks sound like odd mixtures, but they balance out well.
“The lavender tea boils down the honey’s sweetness,” says Mackenzie Thomas, a barista at Stauf’s Coffee Roasters.
Both the honey lavender and hibiscus mocha can be served as a latte, iced or even as a cappuccino. With a pump of mocha syrup and unique flavors, these iced coffees are sure to put a spring in your step.
It wouldn’t be spring without cocktails. This season you can feel less guilty by slimming down your favorite drink with a lighter alcohol. Light vodkas, with only 58 calories per cup and zero carbs and zero sugars are now hitting the market. With a low-calorie base, it’s easy to indulge on our favorite spring cocktails.
Another cocktail we are eyeing right now is the Mermaid Lemonade. Created from organic lemonade, orange bitters, choice of vodka and a few drops of butterfly tea, this refreshing drink brings a flavorful twist to a typical lemonade. The cocktail is a beautiful pink and yellow color and produces a color-changing effect when the blue hibiscus is placed on top of ice.
Mermaid Lemonade
Ingredients:
- 1.5 KEEL Vodka
- 3 oz. organic lemonade
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- Top with a few drops of butterfly tea
Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except for the butterfly tea, in a tall glass. Add ice and give a quick stir. Just before serving, float a few drops of blue hibiscus on top of the ice for a color changing effect.
(Approximately 90 calories)
Marissa Smithinsky is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
