Some Labor Day Cocktails For Ya and A ‘No Hangover’ Wine

Hello hello. Happy 3 day weekend!

Tomorrow is Labor Day & I’m sure the alcohol options are in full effect. To streamline things for you guys, I wanted to do a post completely dedicated to my 3 most favorite cocktail recipes- a vodka kombucha, á la piscine de champagne, & a micromanaged skinny margarita.

& get excited because I’ve also included my favorite wine that will leave you with NO HANGOVER. That’s right people. Wake up on Tuesday, ready for the office, feeling fresh as a fucking daisy. k?

Let’s get into it:

♡ MINT KOMBUCHA VODKAS

+ 1-2 ounces of vodka ( I like gluten-free Tito’s )

 + A couple splashes of sparkling water

+ A couple of splashes of Kombucha ( guava is amazing )

+ Fresh mint ( I like A LOT )

+ Shaved ginger

+ Grapefruit bitters ( if you don’t have this, use a squeeze of lemon )

+ Handful of ice

Directions: add ice to a chilled glass. Add vodka & top with a little sparkling water. Add 1/2 cup of your favorite Kombucha. Grab mint & clap it between your hands ( << this brings out the flavor ). Use mint as a garnish & mix it into the cocktail. Top with a couple dashes of grapefruit bitters ( or lemon ) & shave some ginger on top ( use a cheese grater to shave ginger! ). Option: add raspberries for a festive flair. CHEERS!

Some cool things about kombucha? Glad you asked: ( via )

♡ liver detoxification
♡ improved pancreas function
♡ increased energy
♡ better digestion
♡ improved mood ( helps with anxiety/depression )
♡ kills Candida ( yeast )
♡ helps nutrient assimilation
♡ weight loss

♡ Á LA PISCINE DE CHAMPAGNE

+ champagne

+ a ton of ice

+ huge wine goblet

Directions: grab your goblet & pour yourself a nice big glass of champagne. Throw in your ice & enjoy this ice cold, chic, very French, beverage.

A little backstory here:

I was first introduced to it by, you guessed it, Ingrid. She lives in Monaco & we were at this cute little restaurant called Petite Maison in Nice. Ingrid casually ordered ‘à la piscine de champagne.’ Immediately I had 100 questions.

A big goblet of champagne showed up, packed with ice cubes. As I was guzzling, Ingrid explained this is the chic way to drink slower. & while you’re drinking, you’re hydrating from the ice & staying cool in the heat.

I very much liked this idea because I’m someone who will down a flute of champagne in 5 seconds because it’s so easy to drink. But when it’s in a goblet with lots of ice, you tend to drink it slower. You don’t get buzzed a quickly. Perfect for some Labor Day fun.

♡ TSC MICROMANAGED SKINNY MARGARITA

+ 1.5 ounce blanco tequila

+ 1 ounce of Cointreau ( use Triple Sec if this is unavail )

+ limes ( tons )

+ a little lemon

+ a speck of agave ( like a fucking SPECK ! )

+ option: 2 squeezes of a grapefruit or even pomegranates

+ half rim of salt, always

Directions: use a lime to rim the glass & then add salt to only half the rim. In a martini shaker add 3/4 fresh lime juice, one squeeze of lemon, then add Cointreau ( or Triple Sec ), & tequila. rule of thumb: when making a cocktail, start with the cheapest ingredients first & finish with the most expensive last. Add ice to shaker ( you don’t want the ice to melt into your ingredients, so do this last ). Add ice to rimmed glass & shake and strain your cocktail over the ice. Garnish with a grapefruit slice or lime wheel. GET NAKED WASTED.

Here’s the thing with a micromanaged margarita…

I know what I want. I’m specific. Just because I know what I want doesn’t make me a bitch. Also you can count on the fact that I am always kind. I say “please” & “thank you” and always tip 20% or more. There’s no rude micromanaging going on- just specific directions for what I like. Direct, straight to the point, communication. Kindness is obviously important but there’s nothing wrong with knowing EXACTLY what you want.

♡ THE NO HANGOVER WINE

There is nothing worse than waking up with a hangover. Especially when it’s a hangover from only a glass or two of wine. Seriously tell me what’s worse.

Well, I have a preventative measure… but first, let’s set the scene:

There you are at 6 pm, pouring yourself a glass of chilled rosé while making some cauliflower thins & avocado. You’re enjoying the wine so you pour yourself another glass then you go to bed around 10 & wake up with a headache. Like the psycho that I am I had to investigate why the hell I would wake up with headache from just a glass or two of wine. Like, this is not ok.

I’ve tried so many different wines from all over the world, & I feel like I’ve finally figured it out: a lot of companies add shit to their wine. This means additives, aromas, colors, flavor alterations, sulfites & SUGAR. Yes. added. sugar. in. your. wine. So it’s no surprise that after two glasses you wake up with a headache because it’s basically like you had two Snickers bars. It’s disgusting that we buy we buy a bottle of wine from Italy & think there’s no sugar added when there’s actually up to 40 grams.

Anyways, as you know, I recently had my friend Katie of The Wellness Mama on TSC podcast & she told me all about this company called Dry Farm Wines. The reason I was IMMEDIATELY interested is because they deliver it right to your door monthly – you know I love a delivery. Also, you can guarantee their wines:

♡ are natural, sustainable & biodynamic.

♡ are farmed & made using traditional wine making practices.

♡ have no chemical additives for aroma, color, flavor or texture enhancement.

♡ have no or minimal filtering/fining.

♡ have no or minimal addition of SO2 (sulfites).

♡ have no commercial yeast for flavor alteration.

♡ use minimal intervention in the vinification and aging.

To take it a step further I researched & learned about how specific they are about choosing their wines & they only procure authentic, natural wines.

THEN I TOOK IT EVEN FURTHER…. & got on the phone with the owners. They educated me about their wine, it’s low alcohol percentage & why there’s so much sugar & sulfites added to other wines. I told them that I love red wines from Italy, love rosé, & so they sent me some wine to try. They just get it.

It was time to put it to the test- always wanna human guinea pig myself for you guys. I had TWO HEAPING GLASSES of a Tuscan red, ate how I normally ate & went to bed.

The next morning, nothing. Not even a speck of a headache. I didn’t even increase my water intake. So I decided to have my sister Mimi & best friend Westin try it ( don’t mean to brag but Westin knows his shit when it comes to alcohol & Mimi loves her wine, so they were the perfect people to test it out ).

They both said….. NO HANGOVER.

Some more fun facts about Dry Farm Wines:

♡ they use an independent certified enologist to test all wines so they can guarantee the wines are SUGAR FREE ( thank the lord ).

♡ they ensure every wine meets strict standards of health & purity ( we don’t want a bunch of shit in our wine that doesn’t need to be there ).

♡ they work with small family farmers to offer wine that’s grown & made the way nature intended.

♡ they support small, organic, natural wine growers with fair trade pricing.

♡ they verify a lower alcohol content & sulfites.

I want to talk about the lower alcohol content for a minute… having a shot of hard liquor is not the same as enjoying a glass of wine. SIPPING on a drink with a lower alcohol content gives your liver time to process the alcohol & it doesn’t overwhelm it. There’s such a fine line with drinking because in moderation it can be so beneficial ( less stress, lower inflammation, reduced risk of stroke & dementia ), but in excess it can be so deadly & really bad for your brain.

It’s nice to know that Dry Farm Wines never source wines that have more than 12.5% alcohol so you can really enjoy an evening glass of wine without going too far, ya know?

There aren’t a lot of companies that seem to be able to make these same claims. & not only that, I also feel there aren’t a lot of owners that care the way these owners care. To hop on the phone with them to hear their whole story was so interesting to hear & you can tell it’s their passion & craft to bring quality wine to customers everywhere.

Personally, I’m now a fan & felt like i needed to share this brand with you guys because it’s very TSC-esque. If you’re interested in checking them out just click here, then click SHOP & choose your delivery frequency, red, white or mixed, & then how many bottles you’d like. Done! I highly recommend the reds.

Anyways, stalk Dry Farm Wines & see for yourself.

So that is my alcohol guide to Labor Day. Hopefully this makes your life a bit easier. Having these ingredients on hand is just so efficient in my opinion. These skinny drinks make all the difference. If you’re looking for some other drink options, check out the booze section on TSC, one of them is bound to have you covered.

x, lauryn

+ check out my spiked apple fizz recipe here.

++ also scope a homemade peach bellini recipe.

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