Pina Colada mocktail

You may have heard Amy’s Cookbook previously sing the praises of coconut water. Its hangover-defying properties make for a happy Amy after a night spent drinking one too many glasses of Pinot Gris. Add to this its ability to transport me to a tropical island every time it passes my lips and you can understand my passion.

Coconut water is not to be confused with coconut milk. It’s the clear fluid in young green coconuts which are harvested before they turn brown and the coconut water turns into coconut milk. At this young age, the coconut water has a subtle coconut flavour and a mild sweetness that makes for a very refreshing drink. It’s so clear, you could easily mistake it for water.

Part of the beauty of coconut water is its packaging. What’s not to love about sticking a straw in a coconut and sipping on it as you strut your stuff? The only downside is it can be awkward to carry bags and do play Words with Friends on your smart phone whilst cradling your coconut (yes, I like to multi-task). Which brings me to the whole point of this blog post.

Have you heard of coconut water poppers? They’re a very handy invention for someone like me who is prone to blood sugar crashes and always needs snacks on hand to bring me back to life. I usually carry muesli bars or nuts in my handbag for such emergencies, but these little cartons of goodness work just as nicely. Each one contains around zero fat and approximately 320 kilojoules (which is a bit less than an orange). A little bird told me they also contain electrolytes which my naturopath tells me are very good for rehydration.

The coconuts hail from a plantation in Indonesian which I hear is sustainable and keeps thousands of people in work.  It also provides a school for the children, so that’s a great thing.

The poppers cost $3 a pop and come in four flavours – straight coconut juice; coconut and pineapple juice; coconut and mango juice; as well as coconut and pink guava juice. Truth be told, the straight coconut variety doesn’t taste as good as the real deal, but that may be caused by the pasteurization process that it goes through to eliminate microorganisms.  The fruit juice flavours are good, although they don’t taste very coconuty to me. But I dare they would make a mean cocktail if one was to mix them with a spot of vodka and some crushed ice.

With my favourite season of Spring just around the corner here in the Southern Hemisphere, I thought it was timely to get into the spirit of the warmer weather by whipping up a coconut mocktail. Without further ado, here’s a recipe for a Pina Colada mocktail! Perfect for all the pregnant ladies out there who feel like treating themselves.

Pina Colada mocktail

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup of mango Cocobella coconut water
• 1/3 cup of pineapple juice
• caster sugar to garnish rim of glass
• 1/2 cup crushed ice
• crushed ice, extra, to serve
• squeeze of lime and finish it off with a nice wedge on the side of the glass (a paper umbrella or a maraschino cherry would be a nice touch too).

Method:

1. See this tutorial for how to rim a glass with sugar.

2. Place pineapple juice, coconut water and ice in the jug of a blender and blend until smooth.

3. Transfer to a serving jug and serve immediately over crushed ice.

So, tell me readers, what’s your favourite cocktail or mocktail?