Chocolate and peanut butter. Doughnuts and coffee. Netflix and pajamas. Rosé and poolside sunning. Gin and juice. There’s a strong theme going on here: perfect pairings. In fact, these are some of my personal, favorite pairings, especially the part where gin and juice come out to play. I love gin’s herbaceous, complex character, and it meshes so beautifully with botanicals, fruits, and fresh herbs. It’s the OG, garden-to-glass mixer, in my opinion.

I also make a green juice or smoothie on the daily. Pairing these two loves of mine – gin and green juice – is a natural fit. While I’m not suggesting enjoying these two things together first thing in the morning, I’m all for this combination by at least mid-afternoon. Mondays are a different story, though. Am I right? This combination of flavors is fiercely tempting me this particular morning.

I definitely think that booze and juice can be friends. In fact, they can even complement each other, tastefully and healthfully. Enter Jules Aron, a certified health and nutrition coach and NYC-based mixologist. Her new book, Zen and Tonic, combines her two loves and areas of expertise: health and cocktails. Filled with over 100 cocktail recipes, this 240-page book showcases her favorite bar essentials, a few helpful tips, a handful of detailed spotlights on superfoods, and copious, savvy resources for organic spirits, mixers, and wines. And it’s beyond beautiful to boot.

Jules and I agree that “stocking a home bar should be a fun and exciting adventure.” The suggestions and recommendations she makes throughout her book are all easy, affordable, and available. As I thumbed through the pages of Jules’ book, I realized a theme: healthy and fun. The practical advice she derives from her father’s deep appreciation of the health benefits from the plant world seamlessly coincides with her rich background in health studies. It’s health meets fun. It’s, well, Zen and Tonic.

As a gardener, I am constantly sourcing my backyard for just the right herb, fruit, or even vegetable for cocktail inspiration. Spirits-heavy cocktails, like the Negroni or a Manhattan, definitely have their place in a cocktail repertoire, but why not add a healthier kick to your cocktails with fresh, organic ingredients? Throughout her book, Jules encourages drink enthusiasts to “get their booze on without the guilt.”

Sign me up.

I chose one of Jules’ cocktail recipes to share with you here. It’s a “let’s make it better” shot, filled with organic kale, apple, honeydew melon, cucumber, and lime. There’s also a healthy dose of gin in the mix. Aptly named “Glow, Baby, Glow”, this elixir is packed with hydrating, healthy fruits and vegetables. It’s sessionable and refreshing.

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glow, baby, glow – cucumber, honeydew + kale shots

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• 4 large kale leaves
• 1 apple
• 1/2 honeydew melon
• 1 medium-sized cucumber
• 1 lime
• 4 ounces gin {I used Aviation}

1. Juice all of the ingredients, except the gin.
2. Transfer the juice to a shaker filled with ice and add the gin.
3. Shake well and pour into four shot glasses.

• This recipe yields four shots, but depending upon the size of the melon and cucumber, your recipe may yield more or less. I had a lot of juice leftover, which was not a bad thing at all.
• Optionally, you can pass the juice through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois for a thinner drink, if you tend toward a less “smoothie-like” texture.

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superfood spotlight — kale

“Did you know that kale contains more calcium per calorie than milk? Kale also has more iron than beef, and with its 3:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein, its nutritional density is unparalleled among green, leafy vegetables.”

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For this recipe, I used my Hurom HH Elite Slow Juicer. It is powerful but gentle enough to preserve the vibrant colors, inherent nutrition, and rich flavors of juiced fruits and vegetables. If you don’t have a juicer, there is no need to fret. Simply purée the ingredients in a high-powered blender and run the juice through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois to achieve a more juice-like consistency.

Another helpful aspect of Jules’ book, Zen and Tonic, is the short snippets on the various “superfoods” she incorporates into her cocktail recipes. She shows you how you can grab a day’s worth of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals and pack all of their benefits into a cocktail. You truly can have your cake and eat it, too. Or, in our case, get your greens on and sip your gin, all at the same time. I know. Mind-blown.

Look out for Jules’ book release today, available online at and in various, independent bookstores, and be sure to follow Jules on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more inspiration.

Cheers to Monday! I’ll be dealing with a few downed branches in the backyard from this weekend’s heavy spring snowstorm. We got well over a foot of snow here in Denver, right when all of our tender lettuce starts were popping up and the crabapple blossoms were showing off all of their fragrant, pink blooms. In spring’s case, unlike the case of our green juice cocktail, I suppose that you can’t have your cake and eat it, too.

I’ll add a few snaps from our spring garden. I took these shots just before the crazy, second edition of Denver’s springtime blizzard. Just before everything turned white and frigid.

XO,

Jayme