THE VIRAL SLEEPY GIRL MOCKTAIL MADE FOR DESI TASTEBUDS!
Okay...I had admittedly seen this on my feed for months! Across TikTok, Instagram, and just being a big consumer of all things media - my FYP was flooded with renditions of this viral beverage. '
As someone who has had trouble going to bed easily at night, I had been curious but not curious enough to try it myself. Why? I have frankly been skeptical of social-media-fueled tips and tricks to get better quality sleep since I think I've tried them ALL at this point.
Fast forward to the crazy holiday season, I found the 100% tart cherry juice staring me down when looking for blood orange juice in the bottled drinks aisle at Whole Foods...into my cart she went. Let's say it is for market research purposes.
I came home that night itself and tested out the concoction, using the most common recipe found online (just cherry juice, magnesium, and ginger lime Poppi). Let's get the end to the movie y'all: I slept like a BABY that night! Man, was that sleep incredible. It didn't necessarily make me go to bed quicker but it did make me feel content when I woke up and there were definitely fewer snooze buttons pressed in the AM.
I definitely would recommend the drink, especially on a night-in when I want something nice to close out the evening but not necessarily a cocktail. You're here for my honest takes and with that said and done, I WOULD RECOMMEND MAKING IT THE TASH MASHUP WAY. In the original recipe, while I was happy to drink it - I thought the cherry juice was very potent and sour on its own and there is a thing as too much cherry juice as it is super strong. I think less is better and had to play around the proportions to get it just right. Naturally, I wanted to cut the tartness of the juice and found that freshly grated ginger and maple syrup were fabulous adds. I also love cherry + rose as a pairing so to no one's surprise, your girl decided to add some rosewater and switched out ginger lime Poppi for the raspberry rose flavor.
These small but important changes take this mocktail to a whole another level and you can catch me enjoying these for many more Sunday evenings (a perfect way to fight the Sunday Scaries if you ask me) from here on out!
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INGREDIENTS
3 oz 100% tart cherry juice ( I used Langer Farms)
Magnesium (the appropriate single-serving recommendation depending on the brand/type you are using)
1/4 inch of fresh ginger root, grated directly into the glass
1/2 oz maple syrup, optional but highly recommended (I used Target's 100% Pure Maple Syrup)
1 oz rosewater (I used Sadaf)
2-4 oz of Raspberry Rose Poppi soda (just to top the beverage)
Freshly grated cinnamon, optional but highly recommended
Sprig of fresh mint, for garnish
Dried rose petals and edible silver leaf, optional to rim your glassware
DIRECTIONS
If you want to garnish your glass like I did in the picture above, simply brush your glass with maple syrup and using chopsticks/kitchen tweezers, gently place the rose petals and edible foil on the glass. This step is completely optional but you know me and my love for a beautiful beverage! :)
Next, add in your tart cherry juice and magnesium. Using a handheld frother, I frothed this to ensure the magnesium was incorporated with the juice. If you don't have a frother on hand, just simply stir to make sure this is combined thoroughly.
Then, grate your ginger directly into the glass.
Add in your maple syrup and rosewater.
Next, add in some ice and top with Raspberry Rose Poppi soda.
Using a cinnamon stick, grate fresh cinnamon on top and garnish with a sprig of mint as a final touch!
~ Serves 1
Notes
I know there are a lot of variations online but I will say, this version works because the flavors are balanced beautifully. You can opt to use some and leave out some ingredients - but that will alter the drink. Just keep that in mind as you pour!
You can use ground ginger, but there are so many benefits from ginger root which was top of mind when incorporated it into this recipe. For ground ginger, start with a little and I'd recommend frothing it when adding the magnesium to make sure it is incorporated thoroughly.
You can use any flavor of Poppi or another probiotic soda (Olipop) or even Kombucha to top. I've also found sparkling water is great to top this mocktail but I've found that Raspberry Rose is my absolute favorite!
I love the addition of cinnamon because it helps balance blood sugar and compliments the flavor profile.
I've used magnesium but it is not necessary, as the benefits of cherry juice alone are amazing! Consult with a health provider before adding any new supplements (that include magnesium) into your routine to be sure it's safe and good for you to incorporate into your diet.
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