Jalapeno-Honey Pineapple Spritzer

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I’ve unofficially/officially declared this summer the “Summer of Mocktails™.” I’m not alcohol-free by any means, but I do know that on a hot summer day I feel much better when I drink hydrating drinks instead of dehydrating drinks. So I’ve had some fun creating mocktails that aren’t boring like sparkling water + bitters or club soda and lime.

One of my favorite things about mocktails is that, they aren’t just hydrating when packed with water and fruit, they’re also a good opportunity to pack in some healthy ingredients. One of my FAVORITE drink add-ins is Pompeian Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. I like adding it to sweet drinks, because it can tone down the sweetness and add a nice undertone to the flavor profile. (No, I don’t mean that your drink should taste like a pickle. Usually it’s hardly noticeable, except that it cuts the sweetness a little.)

The other reason I love apple cider vinegar in my mocktails is because it has tons of health benefits! It’s good for your gut, skin, immune system, etc. So a little splash in your drink can really make an impact!

This Jalapeno-Honey Pineapple Sparkler is maybe my favorite mocktail ever, because it’s just a touch spicy but mostly sweet and refreshing and summery. It’s like a freaking fiesta in your mouth. All you have to do is make the jalapeno-honey (don’t worry it’s super easy and only takes 5 minutes), then mix it with pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, and sparkling water. VOILA the mocktail of your dreams is born.

More healthy non-alcoholic drinks: Lavender Grapefruit Sparkler + 5 Minute Faux Kombucha + Honeydew Mojito Mocktail

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Jalapeno-Honey Pineapple Spritzer

This Jalapeno-Honey Pineapple Spritzer is the spicy-sweet mocktail of summer, and it only takes 10 minutes to make! Poolside sipping perfected. 

Course Dranks, Dranks & Others, Drinks

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 4

Author Brewing Happiness

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded
• 4 tbsp Pompeian Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 cups pineapple juice
• 2 cups sparkling or seltzer water

Instructions

1. In a small sauce pot, heat your honey and jalapeno over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce heat to low, and stir continuously for 4-5 minutes. 

2. Take your jalapeno out of the honey, and spoon 2 tbsp of jalapeno-honey into each of your 4 glasses. 

3. Add in 1 tbsp Pompeian Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and 1/2 cup pineapple juice to each glass. Stir until the honey is incorporated. 

4. Add ice to each cup and top with about 1/2 cup sparkling or seltzer water. Stir again gently.

5. DRINK UP. 

If you want to know the truth, the real reason I’ve named this the Summer of Mocktails™, is for my sister. She recently found out that she’s pregnant with a little baby girl, and Aunt Haley™ couldn’t be more excited. So I decided to come up with some fun mocktails for my sister to sip on until my little niece isn’t sharing a digestive system with her.

My reaction to this huge news has been interesting to me. You see, I don’t actually know if I want kids, and I’m much more prone to coo at dogs on the street than little babes. My sister has two dogs, Roxy and Rusty, who you may have seen on my instagram stories, and they already feel like my niece and nephew. I didn’t think the news would affect me that much. I thought I’d be excited, but not to this level. This is something else.

But I’ve been a puddle of tears and excitement ever since I heard those words. I have to stop myself from buying every tiny sized shoe and outfit I come across. I have to stop myself from touching babies on the street. The whole thing has made me feel really alive in a very special way.

The truly amazing part of this little lady coming into my world is how much it’s put things into perspective for me. Sure, my instagram engagement is down, and I’m a little overwhelmed with work, and dealing with some physical struggles, BUT there are real life things happening. There’s a human happening. That’s way bigger than my algorithm annoyance.

I’m incredibly thankful for this perspective. It’s good to check yourself like this every once in a while. It’s good to put a reality check on the negative feelings you have while scrolling instagram. There are really important things happening in the world. Like, actually important. Sometimes it takes a birth or a death to realize that, but I hope we can all start to take cues without those extremes. (Or at least I hope I can.)

I hope I can hold onto this feeling even after the newness has worn off. I hope I can remind myself of what’s important even on the days when I feel overwhelmed. I hope I can remind myself of this when I’m jealous of someone’s instagram life.

There are big, human things happening every single day. We fall in love. We hold a baby. We help a friend. We honor our calling. We get a divorce. We struggle to get by. We cry. We find redemption. We have revelations. We hold each other closer. These are the defining moments that make up a life.

Life isn’t on your phone. Life is so much more vibrant than that. So please, don’t limit yourself. Don’t allow your life to be that small. It’s too easy. You deserve something bigger. (I’m mostly talking to myself here, but I think it might resonate.)

There’s a big world out there full of milestones and hardships and hugs and tears and nieces and nephews. I want to live in that world as much as I can. So I don’t know if I’ll be a good aunt or not, but I’ll surely try. Starting by making my sister this Jalapeno-Honey Pineapple Spritzer, talking to her about baby names, and buying every freaking tiny shoe I see. Because THAT is life.

I’m gonna go live it now. xo.