Jo-Anne’s Sexy AF Cocktails

On a girls trip, Jo-Anne Reynolds was faced with a dilemma. All the ladies who accompanied her were not drinking alcohol because of three reasons. They were either pregnant, training for a marathon or because of their religious beliefs. The only options they had to sip were sparkling water with a lime juice, a Shirley Temple with a pop of soda, or the usual tea and coffee.

Upon returning home, she was still faced with the same question. What would the world be like if there were a delicious, alcohol-free spirit for everyone to drink? She wanted to create recipes that featured ingredients that anyone could find and recipes that could be made by everyone and not just a mixologist. All her friends supported her decision, waiting for a drink that was Sexy AF. When Jo began her research on non-alcoholic drinks, she found that a non-alcoholic option existed for most alcoholic beverages.

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Jo-Anne's Drinks, Source Facebook

She decided she wanted to create spirits that would be completely alcohol-free, sugar-free, vegan, gluten-free, plant-based that were also low on calories and tasted delicious. To bring the best of these spirits for consumers, she created 36 batches using various techniques, ingredients and more. Finally, six of them were selected, all of them with flavor profiles that fit Jo-Anne’s vision. Her vision bore results at the recently concluded Bartender Spirits Awards, as all six non-alcoholic spirits were among the medallists.

The Spiced Yum features botanicals like vanilla, ginger, and all spice to name a few. Tasting like a spiced rum, the Spiced Yum has aromas of caramel and ripe lemon on the nose. The palate is spicy and lingers long on the finish. It was awarded a silver medal with a score of 84 points.

The AperTease is an Italian bitter orange made to be sipped. Bitter sweet orange and cardamom headline the list of ingredients with the spirit floral on the nose. The palate is driven by flavors of cherry and baking spices.

The third winner with 81 points was Amar-Oh. What tastes like classic liquor, the Amar-Oh features cinnamon, Schisandra, and sarsaparilla. Its nice, tart finish is one that will lend a great note to a number of cocktails.

Drawing comparisons to a triple sec, the Triple Sexy has flavors of both a sweet and bitter orange. Rosehip notes can also be found in this non-alcoholic spirit which is a good mixer for a rich cocktail.

The list of winners from Sexy AF is rounded off by the Friski Whiski and ViirGiin. Friski Whiski has notes of cinnamon and angelica along with nuances of honey and ripe Meyer lemons. ViirGin on the other hand tastes like a classic juniper-forward gin with notes of juniper, coriander and cardamom. The subtle cherry notes add another dynamic to this non-alcoholic spirit.

With the idea of mocktails at the heart of her vision, it was a given that all six of Sexy AF spirits would make a great base for a lot of appetizing drinks. Four of Jo-Anne’s concoctions stand out, and yes, all of them can easily be made in your kitchen.

Triple Kiwi and Lime Cocktail

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Ingredients:

1.25 oz Sexy AF Triple Sexy
1.5 oz Kiwi Juice
1.5 oz Lime Juice
2 oz Butterfly Pea Tea
1/2 Kiwi
Tonic Water

Method:

Muddle the kiwi at the bottom of your glass until its aroma is released. Layer ice and lime wheels. Add in the rest of your ingredients and give it a light stir. Enjoy with a straw.

Green Mango Tonic

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Ingredients:

1 oz Viirgiin
1 oz AperTease
3 oz Mango Juice
3 oz of Chilled Green Tea or CBD Green Tea
2 ml CBD Oil (Omit if using CBD tea)

Method:

Shake all ingredients with ice, double strain into a rocks glass with ice. Top with 1oz to 2oz of Orange Flavoured Tonic or Orange Flavoured Soda Water. Garnish with orange wedge.

ViirGiin White Lady

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Ingredients:

1 oz. ViirGiin
0.5 oz. Triple Sexy
0.5 oz. Orange Juice
0.5 oz. Lemon Juice
0.5 oz. Egg Whites

Garnish:

1 Orange or Lemon Peel

Method:

Add all ingredients into a shaker and dry shake (without ice) for at least 15-20 seconds. Add in a cup of ice and shake for another 10-15 seconds - or until chilled. Strain into a coupe glass and twist your lemon/orange peel over top of your cocktail - this will release all of the aroma and oils into your cocktail. Lastly, drop the peel in and enjoy!