Green Goddess cocktail with Fair Spirits Quinoa vodka

I am not quite sure where the term Green Goddess came about for juices, smoothies and even salad dressings, but last summer they were all I could drink. Imagine our joy, then, when my sister and I were in Dubai and spotted Green Goddess cocktails on a menu! Both green juice enthusiasts, we enjoyed them daily for the rest of the time there and vowed to set out to find how to make them when we returned. As often is  the case, life happened, and they turned into something we reminisced about but never actually made.

Fast forward to May this year when I was having my daily stalk on The Londoner and found she'd posted a recipe for Green Goddess cocktails. I excitedly rang my sister, within days we'd made one, and now they're one of our favourites! As with most of her recipes, it didn't need much tinkering with, but we did add ginger, as I love that in green juices, changed the lemon to lime, as I love lime, mint and ginger together, and added a little bit of kale. It's almost like a healthy, slightly spicy mojito!

If you're not already a green juice drinker, these might be just the ticket to ease you in, they have just the right amount of natural sweetness that they don't need any added sugar, and the ingredients mean you can enjoy (in moderation of course...) pretty much guilt free!

The Londoner used gin in hers, but I found a drink that will take this already virtuous drink to another level. I can't remember where I first stumbled upon Fair Spirits, but all I do know is that once I found them, I was excited. Dedicated to ethical and sustainable products, Fair spirits produce a range of spirits that are just a little bit different from other spirits. Take the vodka, for example, made from organic quinoa, from 1200 small, independant producers, and as far as I'm aware, it's the only fairtrade spirit on the market, which means that a fair price is being paid to the producers. There's just the most subtle sweetness that is crucial in a cocktail in that has no added sugar, citrus notes bring out the lime and mint in the cocktail, and there's a gentle heat which perfectly complements the ginger.

 Of course you can make the drink with any vodka, or of course gin, as in the original recipe, but if you wanted something a bit more exciting, I really would recommend giving it a try. You can buy it here and it comes in a beautiful presentation box so would make the perfect Christmas gift for any other fellow superfood enthusiasts that you might know.

Without further ado, then, lets get onto how to make the drink, to make two, you will need:

• 1/2 a cucumber
• A lime (you don't need to peel it)
• A handful of kale, stalks removed 
• 200ml light elderflower juice- I used this one
• A handful of mint
• A thumbnail sized chunk of ginger, peeled with the back of a spoon
• Four measures of vodka
• Two long glasses

To make them:

• Add your cucumber, kale, mint, lime and ice to a blender or nutribullet
• Blitz until completely smooth
• Take a cocktail shaker
• Add your vodka and then elderflower juice 
• Top up with the green juice
• Use a long spoon to gently stir
• Pour into your cocktail glasses, if you're making them as long drinks you can do this straight in the glasses, I have done it this way as I used champagne saucers to serve. 
• Garnish with a lime twist
• Enjoy in that guilt free way that is only possible when you're drinking cocktails made from ingredients as virtuous as these!

Once you've finished, go and check out the Londoner, quaranteed life envy, and lots of recipes, including lots of low carb ones, and Fair Spirits for more information about these delicious socially responsible spirits.

Once again, thanks to my wonderful other half for the photos, far better than the ones I attempted. Find more of his photos here

* Contains PR samples