Naturally Sweetened Beverages
Naturally sweetened beverages
Try infusing fresh stevia in water or alcohol to create naturally sweet drinks. Stevia leaf is 30 times sweeter than sugar — a quart teaspoon of dried stevia is equivalent to a half pound of granulated sugar — so just a few leaves will do.
Stevia-sweetened lemonade
2 cups filtered water
1 to 3 fresh stevia leaves
1 cup lemon juice
Add the water and a stevia leaf or two to a clean jar. Let the water sit for several hours. Check for sweetness and adjust with additional leaves or additional time. Add the lemon juice to the jar and stir.
To serve, pour the lemonade into glasses filled with ice. Garnish with fresh berries and mint leaves.
Stevia-infused vodka
375 mL bottle of vodka
1 to 3 fresh stevia leaves or more, to taste
Add one or two stevia leaves to the bottle of vodka. Let it sit for a day or two. Taste the vodka to check its sweetness. If you prefer it sweeter, add another leaf and repeat the process until it meets your desired sweetness. Strain the leaves and pour back into the bottle or into a clean mason jar.
The infused vodka can be kept at room temperature for several days or can be refrigerated for a few weeks.
Cosmopolitan
2 ounces stevia-infused vodka
1 ounce lime juice
½ ounce cranberry juice (not cranberry cocktail)
Shake all ingredients together with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Moscow mule
2 ounces stevia-infused vodka
½ ounce lime juice
1-inch knob fresh ginger, roughly chopped
½ cup sparkling water
Add the vodka, lime juice, ginger and some ice to a shaker. Shake well and strain into a mug or highball glass with ice. Top with sparkling water.
