Can Gatorade Ferment Into Alcohol? Top 107 Best Answers

Gatorade: Its popular red flavor can stain the whitest of fabrics, and its sweet taste is oddly refreshing after a sweat. If you’ve ever participated in any sport, chances are you’ve spent halftime between games and practice breaks chugging the stuff. Though it’s made a name for itself as a sports drink, Gatorade is also a well-known hangover reliever — but its beneficial and interesting uses don’t end there. The colorful drink does so much more than just hydrate you.

But what about that BVO? You may recall that Gatorade made headlines for the last year or two when it came under fire for using an allegedly unhealthy substance: brominated vegetable oil (BVO). Banned in Europe, BVO is both a food additive and a flame retardant. When taken frequently, BVO can accumulate in breast milk, leading to memory loss, hormonal changes, earlier puberty, and reduced fertility in those who take it. In January 2013, Gatorade’s parent company, Pepsi-Co., announced they were removing the controversial ingredient — so you can rest easy knowing your sports drink is BVO-free, whether you drink it or not.

The drink that will make your toilet shine Phew! Gatorade is now safe to drink, and turns out it’s pretty useful around the house, too. Are you looking for a new way to clean your bathroom? That Gatorade in your fridge could become your favorite tool. Please enable JavaScript to view this video. As Joey Green points out in his book Joey Green’s Cleaning Magic, the citric acid in the drink makes it an excellent cleaning solution that can remove unsightly stains from your toilet bowl. Put two cups of a light-colored Gatorade in your toilet bowl and let the liquid sit for an hour. Once it’s done, grab your toilet brush and scrub the bowl. Flush the liquid when you’re done and you’ll have a stain-free dresser.

Cure Food Poisoning With These Electrolytes The symptoms of food poisoning aren’t pretty: Vomiting, fever, and stomach cramps all combine to make you feel awful. Keep a bottle of Gatorade nearby while you cling to the rim of your toilet. Drink plenty of fluids while dealing with food poisoning to reduce your symptoms. Image by Drew Shibby/Flickr The sports drink can help flush out what’s bothering your body. According to the Mayo Clinic, drinking Gatorade is a good option to restore lost fluids without further wreaking havoc on your stomach. Hydration is key when watching your last meal come back up, and refueling with fluids like Gatorade will help prevent painful muscle cramps caused by dehydration. Speaking of muscle cramps…

Drink to Relieve Painful Cramps Drinking Gatorade can reduce the pain of sudden and intense muscle spasms, especially if you’re dehydrated. When your body needs hydration, a sugary drink might sound counterintuitive — but thanks to the added potassium and other electrolytes in the sports drink, it’s actually a good solution. According to the electrolyte theory of why muscle cramps occur, when you sweat excessively, you lose sodium, potassium, and calcium, and that makes your nerves overly sensitive. The more you use your muscles while keeping the above items down, the tighter your muscles will become, increasing the likelihood of cramps. (Remember that there are other theories as to what causes muscle cramps, but the electrolyte theory is one of the most popular.) There are solutions in your fridge to relieve those leg cramps. Image via Garma on Health As Dr. Nicholas Morrissey told The Wall Street Journal, hard, sweaty exercise causes our bodies to become dehydrated, which in turn depletes potassium and other important nutrients. dr Morrissey suggests using Gatorade to replace the lost potassium and balance your electrolytes. If you don’t have Gatorade on hand, eat a banana or drink some coconut water instead. Bananas are high in potassium (and, as a bonus, serve as a prebiotic that supports healthy digestion. Coconut water is also naturally high in potassium, although it doesn’t have super high levels of other electrolytes. A banana and some water will help, too helping to balance your electrolyte levels Image via Shutterstock

Do you love the taste of orange? Use it to polish old, dull furniture Orange Gatorade might already be your favorite flavor, but you’ll enjoy it even more when you discover its ability to make your furniture shine. Before you pour a whole bottle of Gatorade on your dining room chairs, know that a little goes a long way. Combine the Gatorade with water to make a 50/50 mix. Pour a little on your wooden furniture. Rub the solution in with a soft cloth and you’ll be left with nothing but a beautiful shine. Keep in mind that it’s important to do a patch test to make sure Gatorade won’t damage the finish of your furniture. Image via Shutterstock Why does the orange flavor work so well? According to Herbal Medicine Tips, the aroma contains orange extract, the same ingredient in furniture polish that does all the hard work. The extract helps revitalize the wood and provides a glossy finish.

Use an empty bottle to make your own megaphone Want to amplify your voice or just entertain the kids? Grab a pair of scissors and an empty Gatorade bottle, and you’ve got a megaphone ready to go. Joey Green, mentioned above for his Gatorade cleaning tips, offers a quick way to turn a bottle into a voice amplifier. Skip the smaller sizes from Gatorade. For the bullhorn trick you definitely want the bigger bottle. Image from A Couple of Craft Addicts Remove the orange cap and use your scissors to cut out the bottom of the container. Speak into the bottle’s mouth and you have your megaphone. It is best to use a larger Gatorade bottle rather than the water bottle shaped versions as the original size is narrow at the mouth and wider at the base, like a real megaphone.

Empty bottles make great food storage containers. To stay fresh, food needs to be protected from invaders like moisture, air, and hungry pests. Thanks to their airtight twist caps, Gatorade bottles are excellent for protecting their contents from the outside world. Their wide mouths also make it easier to get food in and out of the bottles. Wacky Uses suggests storing bird seed or pet food in it. You could even cut off the bottom halves and make resealable DIY cereal dispensers. Gatorade bottles are also great for keeping brown, granulated, and powdered sugar fresh when you’re not using it. Though expensive plastic containers are often touted as the best solution, an empty gallon-sized Gatorade bottle can save you sugar and your wallet. Third from left: A Gatorade bottle for storing white rice. Image by Grandpajoe / Instructables Gatorade Bottles are especially helpful for those of us who tend to forget what we put in different containers. With their see-through walls, the bottles make it easy to pinpoint exactly what’s inside when you grab ingredients.

Make a Hummingbird Feeder While many empty plastic bottles can be made into homemade hummingbird feeders, Gatorade bottles are made from sturdier plastic than most and make great feeding containers for our fine feathered friends. As World of Hummingbirds points out, the larger opening of the Gatorade bottles also makes cleaning and maintenance easier. Get her instructions on how to make a feeder here. You can upcycle other plastic items like spoons or lids to make the end of your hummingbird feeder look like a flower. Image via RUVYTQLTS You can also check out the video below by Shawn Zentner below. One caveat: Ignore the video’s suggestion of using red food coloring for the sugar water solution, which the birds actually eat. It can damage your digestive system. Please enable JavaScript to view this video. You could also just make regular bird feeders. You know, the seed types.

Gatorade Can Help You Sneak Alcohol into Public Places The next time you go to a no-alcohol zone like the beach, use a bottle of Gatorade to hide your adult beverage. Mix vodka with any flavor of Gatorade and you have the perfect drink on the go – and nobody will suspect. These “Russian sports drinks,” as they’re called in Los Angeles, retain the vibrant color of the Gatorade, making it look like you’re sipping an unaltered drink. Image via Thrillist Bonus: Mixing your alcohol with Gatorade might help stave off a hangover. Nobody likes that morning-after feeling, and Gatorade can do wonders for a pounding head and an upset stomach. Throwing back a few drinks mixed with Gatorade can decrease your chances of waking up feeling awful.

Alcoholic beverage

“Sugar wine” redirects here. For the presence of sugar in wine, see Sugar in Wine

This article is about a traditional Finnish drink. For the county in North Korea, see Kilju County

Equipment used to make kilju and a bottle of raw kilju with raisins pickled in water to avoid legal trouble in 2006 when the photo was taken.

Kilju (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈkilju]) is the Finnish word for fermented water. It consists of sugar, yeast and water. It used to be called sugar wine. For legal reasons, it often contains additives such as citrus fruits, apples, berry juices or artificial flavors.

Cultural aspects[ edit ]

Kilju is considered an inferior drink, consumed primarily for its alcohol content. It is commonly associated with the punk subculture.[1]

The Finnish Alcoholic Beverages Act of March 1, 2018 legalized the production of kilju and wine from fruits, berries and other carbohydrate sources without claiming to produce real wine. However, distilling the products into pontikka (moonshine) is still illegal and can carry harsh penalties of up to four years of hard labor if significant quantities are sold.

Because of its low cost, unrefined taste, and simple manufacturing process, kilju is primarily drunk by low-income people. Alternatively, it can be prepared as a carbonated soft drink if served before the fermentation process is complete. Kilju made this way has high levels of sugar and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and little to no alcohol, resembling sweet lemonade. A family tradition for many. The simple manufacturing process also makes it accessible to underage drinkers. Cf. sima, commonly flavored with lemon and unrefined cane sugar, resulting in a small beer or light mead.

The first commercially produced kilju was introduced in 2022.[2][3]

production [edit]

Kilju on its fifth day of fermentation. An airlock has been added to keep unnecessary and harmful bacteria out of the fermenting beverage.

Kilju can be made by fermenting sugar, yeast and water, but kilju made solely from sugar, yeast and water was illegal in Finland before March 2018;[4] therefore grains, potatoes, fruits[5] or Berry uses fermentation to avoid legal issues and flavor the drink. Oranges and lemons are popular choices for this purpose.

The process is similar to home brewing wine. If done slowly, it requires strict hygiene and filtration of the product. When fast brewing, special dry yeasts are available in quantities to speed up the fermentation process before bacterial infiltration can take place in about three days. In Finnish, the latter are called pikahiiva (literally instantaneous yeast) and are sold in dry packs of around a hundred grams, as opposed to the standard living brewer’s yeast pack of 50g wet.

Properly prepared kilju is a clear, colorless or off-white liquid with no discernible taste other than ethanol. It can be made by naturally settling the yeast over time, but nowadays various fining agents are also used to speed up the process. Kilju can be refined into Pontikka (Finnish moonshine) by distillation. It then resembles rum in that both are distilled from fermented cane sugar products, although rum is often made from molasses, a by-product of sugar refining, or from fresh sugar cane juice instead of refined, crystallized table sugar. Rum therefore has a recognizable taste of its own, while Pontikka distilled from (well clarified) kilju more closely resembles diluted neutral spirits, vodka or viina.

Kilju is often improperly made by home brewers who allow impurities to interfere with fermentation, or who do not adequately filter or bottle the liquid, or who do not use a fining agent. The latter errors cause yeast to become suspended, making the mixture cloudy rather than clear. The yeast is not harmful, but it can cause an unpleasant taste and intestinal problems. [citation needed] It is also a common mistake to leave the carbon dioxide produced by fermentation in suspension for the yeast to provide it with nucleation sites and this keeps yeast in solution. Proper technique requires aerating the product after fermentation, stirring, and possibly fining agents such as microsilica or various semi-polar protein or carbohydrate agents.

As home brewing grew in popularity during the economic crisis that followed the Finnish banking crisis in the early 1990s, strains of yeast known as “turbo yeast” (“turbohiiva”, “pikahiiva”) were launched. These yeast strains allow for very rapid fermentation to full cask strength, in some cases in as little as three days (compared to several weeks required by traditional wine yeast strains). Of course, such a short production time does not allow the yeast to turn into yeast. The introduction of turbo yeast increased the public’s perception of kilju as an easy way to source cheap alcohol.

Kilju is a well-established part of Finnish alcohol and counterculture, as even the making-and-use-of video from the leading engineering school of yore attests. “Four thousand liters of gases are generated. They are discharged to the delight of the neighbors.” The drink tends to invite such black humor of the dead kind.

Historical variants[ edit ]

For fermented alcohol that is both flavored and sweetened with fruit, see Winemaking

Prior to 2018, Kilju had to be modified in Finland to use grain, potato, fruit[5] or berries during fermentation to avoid legal issues and flavor the drink. Oranges and lemons are popular choices for this purpose.

Flavored Kilju[ edit ]

For example, flavored kilju made from fruit doesn’t have to be sweet as long as all the sugar is consumed by the yeast.

sugar wine [ edit ]

Sugar wine or fermented syrup is kilju with sugar (plain sugar, fruits, etc.) either not consumed by killed yeast or added after kilju has been cleaned.

consumption [edit]

Kilju is often mixed with juice or another drink to mask the flavor, of which there can be multiple.

Compared to wines, Kilju most closely resembles Beaujolais nouveau, which is drunk after only a few weeks of fermentation. Properly made kilju does not turn into vinegar easily, however, as it lacks the nutrients needed for further fermentation. It is possible to drink kilju years after it is made if it has been stored properly. In fact, as a white wine it ages well in 2-3a, especially when made from impure cane sugar, including molasses (Fariinisokeri), or when brewed partially from oat malt and hops, as an extra strong beer.

See also[edit]

When you think of yeast, you probably don’t think of alcohol first. In fact, the first thing you probably think of is bread. Yeast is an active ingredient in most breads that is included to help them rise when baked.

But what you may not know is that yeast is also an active ingredient in many different types of alcohol. It’s not added for flavor, but it’s an essential ingredient in the production of most types of alcohol.

In fact, you might have a hard time finding an alcohol that doesn’t involve yeast in the fermentation process.

BEER DROP: Cases of beer from award-winning microbreweries → Join the club

Although they can be hard to find, there are some types of alcohol you can make without adding extra yeast. However, there is no way to stop yeast from growing in the alcohol as it is a micro fungus that is all around us in the air so it naturally combines with the alcohol as part of the fermentation process.

So, yes, you can make alcohol without adding yeast in the production process. However, there is no guarantee that yeast will not combine with the alcohol during the fermentation process. Now let’s take a look at how to make alcohol without yeast.

Can you make alcohol without yeast?

Yes, alcohol can be made without yeast, but it’s nearly impossible to make any type of alcohol that doesn’t contain yeast from the natural environment.

There are some types of alcohol that you can’t make without yeast, such as: B. Beer is very dependent on yeast and any attempts to make it without yeast will be unsuccessful.

You might find this information a bit confusing as some beers are advertised as “yeast free”. So how can these products be beer-free when it is very difficult to make them without yeast? Well the answer is pretty simple.

As we’ve said before, yeast usually finds its way into the alcohol even if you don’t actively add yeast in the production process. That’s because yeast is a micro-fungus and it’s airborne, so it eventually develops in the alcohol.

Most “yeast-free” beers are not truly yeast-free, but they are made without active yeast in the process. The only yeast you will find in this alcohol is the naturally occurring yeast.

If you are unfamiliar with the fermentation process of alcohol, you may not be aware of the very important role yeast plays in it. With that in mind, let’s look at what yeast does in alcohol.

What does yeast do in alcohol?

To really understand what yeast does for alcohol, you really need to understand what yeast is and what properties it has. Yeast is a microorganism that belongs to the fungi family and is therefore closely related to other foods such as mushrooms.

If you ask most experienced alcohol makers, they will tell you that yeast is one of the key ingredients in making alcohol because it starts the fermentation process.

Alcohol results from the conversion of sugars during the fermentation process. This is possible due to the inclusion of yeast.

During the fermentation process, the ingredients are deprived of oxygen, which initiates the chemical reaction to convert the sugars into alcohol. This chemical reaction is triggered by the addition of yeast, so this won’t happen without yeast.

There are currently no known substitutes for yeast, making it almost impossible to make some alcohols without yeast.

So if you want to make alcohol without yeast, it’s currently only possible if you don’t add any additional yeast ingredients to the mix.

Generally, if you want to increase the alcohol content of your drink, you do so by adding more sugar to the yeast. But we said there are some types of alcohol that can be made without using yeast.

So what are these alcohols? And how do you do that? Let’s take a look.

What alcohol can be made without yeast?

If you want to try making alcohol without yeast, you’re limited as to what you can try. As we’ve said before, some alcohols, like beer, are heavily dependent on yeast, and as such it’s pretty much impossible to make these types of alcohol without using yeast in some form or form.

But some types of alcohol are perfectly fine without adding artificial yeast to the mix.

Surprisingly, the types of alcohol that are suitable for making without adding yeast are the types of alcohol that actually have a fairly high alcohol content. Beers tend to be low in alcohol, which might lead to the assumption that they are better suited to being made without yeast.

Of course we know that this is not the case. Instead, high-alcohol beverages like wines and spirits do far better if you want to eliminate artificial yeast from the production process.

If you’re new to home brewing and want to try making something yeast-free, wine is probably your best bet. Because wine is a type of alcohol that has a very high fruit content.

Fruit is naturally high in sugar, and because of this, the fruit used in wine can actually ferment naturally. This process is sometimes referred to as “wild fermentation”.

The reason why it is possible to make wine without artificial yeast is due to the fact that traditionally people have made wine without adding yeast.

Wine is a very historic beverage, having existed long before artificial yeasts were invented. For centuries people have made wine using only natural yeasts, and today it is entirely possible.

As you read this, you may be wondering why wine can be successfully made without yeast when other types of alcohol cannot. This is because yeast is naturally found on the outside of grapes and grapes are often the main ingredient in wine.

This natural yeast has been on the outside of the grapes for centuries, and that’s why it’s possible to make wine without adding artificial yeast.

Yeast Substitute

We’ve already said that there are currently no known substitutes for yeast, but that’s not entirely true. When we said that, we meant that there is no perfect substitute for processed yeast.

However, if you want a substitute that does a similar job as yeast, you have a few options. These alternatives are generally foods that are naturally high in yeast, allowing you to get the yeast into your alcohol without actively adding artificial yeast.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at the different substitutes you could use for yeast.

Grapes (and other fruits)

It seems only fair that we start with the option we mentioned earlier and that is grapes.

We’ve talked at length about why wine is a viable type of alcohol to make without artificial yeast, and it’s all because of the natural yeast found on grapes. This natural yeast not only occurs naturally in grapes, but can also be found in other types of fruit.

The key to accessing the natural yeast in these fruits is to crush them. Once this is done, the fruit is covered with an airtight container. The yeast that resides on the outside of these fruits can then get to work and ferment the fruits naturally without the need to add additional yeast.

As mentioned, this fermentation process is most commonly used in winemaking, and this is mainly because wine tends to be high in fruit content.

Because natural yeasts are used in this process, it ensures that your wine is specific to the area, and that’s why you’ll often find wines named after the city or area where they were made.

bread

We said that it is almost impossible to make beer without yeast. We said almost because you can actually make beer using bread as a yeast source. This might seem like a strange concept, but it’s actually a viable option and one that’s hugely popular.

To do this, you need fresh bread so that the yeast is still alive and active. Then the process is quite similar to the usual process of beer fermentation, you just use bread instead of artificial yeast.

In fact, some people prefer bread made with artificial yeast because it can aid and facilitate the fermentation process.

rice bran

Finally, you should consider using rice bran to ferment alcohol. This is the cheapest alternative, and it’s pretty easy because you simply replace your artificial yeast with rice bran.

Rice bran has the potential to complete ethanol fermentation, just like yeast, and because it’s small in size and shape, it works incredibly similarly. So if you fancy making alcohol but don’t want to use yeast, then rice bran is a great choice.

summary

In short, yes you can make alcohol without yeast. Well, you can make alcohol without artificial yeast. It is impossible to make alcohol without yeast as it is a naturally occurring microorganism.

However, it is possible to make alcohol without adding artificial yeast and we showed you how to do it in the guide above.

The easiest alcohol to make? » (Get the answer here!)

I’ve recently become interested in home brewing, but have always wondered what is the easiest way to get started.

After some research I found some answers to help you choose the type of alcohol to brew.

What’s the easiest alcohol to make? Probably the easiest alcohol to make is mead. Making mead is very easy, but it’s not the fastest alcohol to make. If you want to make alcohol that you can enjoy quickly, beer is probably the way to go. Wine and spirits usually have longer fermentation processes than beer.

First you have to ask yourself what you really want to make, each method has different difficulties depending on what kind of beer, wine or spirit you want to make.

Read on as I dive into the different methods and help shed some light on which method might work for you.

How to brew your own alcohol Take a look at this post where we will get all the details about making alcohol at home.

So what’s the easiest alcohol to make?

The reason people see mead as probably the easiest way to make alcohol is that it can be made using very basic equipment that you can find at most any store.

Other types of alcohol, such as beer or wine, require the purchase of special brewing equipment.

If you are a beginner it doesn’t matter what you choose, all alcohols are fairly easy to make at a beginner level.

When you are just starting out, beginner kits for making beer, wine or anything else are very easy in most cases.

As long as you follow the instructions provided in the kit, there is little risk of failure.

Also Read: Best Moonshine Kits for Beginners

In general, making beer is easier than making wine or spirits. So if you just want to settle for the most basic beginner kit, a beer kit is probably your choice.

Homebrewing enthusiasts will probably tell you that you don’t have to worry about what takes the least time or what is easiest, just what you want to make.

Once you’ve learned the process of home brewing, the difficulty doesn’t matter because once you get the basics down, you’ll likely be interested in experimenting with your taste, smell, and so on.

Difficulty increases when you want to get more complex with your alcohol.

No matter what type of alcohol you choose, there are a plethora of options when it comes to personalizing your product.

The real difficulty lies in imparting unique tastes and feelings to your own alcohol. Most of the methods are already known, but the taste, color and actual feel of your beer, wine or spirit is your experimentation.

Also Read: Best Moonshine Still Kits – Top 7 Compared

Experimenting with recipes

Adding different ingredients can help you create a personalized alcoholic beverage that suits you and your preferences.

To reiterate, let’s take beer brewing as an example.

The actual process and ingredients for making base beer is very simple, in short you prepare the beer, mix the batch, ferment and bottle your beer. These are the basic processes involved in making beer.

Now you can go through any process and do different things to change the properties of your beer.

With beer, the typical way to tweak it is by adjusting various processes or adding additional ingredients.

Here are 3 things to keep in mind when optimizing your personal beer recipe:

#1 Keep the balance between special grains and basic malts.

The usual main ingredients in brewing beer are malt and grain. Adding special grains can improve the flavor and overall feel of your beer recipe. If you have the main recipe that you want to innovate, make sure you don’t stray too far from the recommended malt and grain mix.

Find out what works for others and find a delicate balance when mixing your batch.

#2 Add fruit, berries, or nuts to your beer.

Adding any of these 3 ingredients can completely change the taste of your beer and turn it into a whole new taste experience.

REMEMBER: Be careful when adding fruit or berries as they have natural sugar content that can increase your alcohol level during fermentation.

Some recommend not adding the additional ingredients directly to the primary fermentation, but adding them in a secondary fermentation process.

To make sure you don’t contaminate your beer, it can be a good idea to use frozen fruit as they are microbial free. Simply let the frozen fruit bag thaw and put the fruit straight into secondary fermentation.

#3 Adding herbs and spices.

Another popular and easy way to make a personal recipe is to add spices. These spices can be anything from spicy paprika, peppermint, chili, or any simple herb or spice you can think of.

Depending on what flavor you like, you can choose to add spices or herbs to suit your preferences and make your beer more personal.

Some experienced home brewers even make seasonal beers, adding spices depending on the season. For example, you can add peppermint at Christmas to give your beer a holiday feel.

By keeping these things in mind when trying to make your own recipe, you can find a unique recipe that suits you as a person and your preferences in terms of taste, feel, color, etc.

As mentioned before, beer recipes are basically very simple, but adding extra ingredients is the easiest way to change the taste, color and feel of your own beer.

Overall, making alcohol is straightforward, but the processes vary and change in difficulty depending on how complex you want your product to be.

In summary, making alcohol is not difficult, anyone can learn it.

TIP: Start slow and easy with beginner kits for each type of alcohol you want to make, and then you can branch out and make more complex alcohols after you’ve mastered the basics of home brewing.

A quick guide to homemade alcohol

If you just want to brew something at home without investing in equipment or kits, here’s an easy way to turn your favorite fruit juice into homemade alcohol.

This method has no dangerous effects and is as simple as adding some yeast to regular fruit juice. Of course, as with all alcoholic beverages you should drink in moderation, so does the alcohol you make with this recipe.

Also read: How to make vodka at home?

Equipment list:

A bottle of 100% pure fruit juice

A packet of yeast powder

An airlock

A hydrometer -only if you want to measure the alcohol content-. (Amazon link)

Step 1

Figure out how much yeast you want to use. Figure out if you want to make a high or low alcohol drink and add yeast accordingly

step 2

Add the yeast to your juice. Pour the estimated amount of yeast into your juice bottle

step 3

airlock. Attach the airlock and make sure you get it right as this is crucial to the fermentation process.

step 4

let it sit As with all home brews, fermentation takes time, but you should see results in 46 to 72 hours. If debris gets into the airlock, it’s a good idea to take it off and clean it to avoid contamination.

step 5

Pour in your alcohol. It is recommended to transfer the alcohol to other containers and remove any leftovers from the fermentation process for the best tasting experience.

You’ve just made your own homemade schnapps using a simple yeast pack and airlock, it’s that simple! Seasoned home brewers will likely frown at calling yourself a home brewer while making this type of alcohol, but hey, it’s okay to start small!

Also Read: Best Propane Burner for Home Brewing

Also Read: Best Cigar Humidors

If making alcohol during Prohibition was that easy, homemade hooch would have been everywhere. I recently started playing with a product called Spike Your Juice, which was advertised as a way to turn juice into alcohol in 48 hours. It works like this: choose a juice with at least 20g of sugar per serving, add a packet of specially formulated yeast, seal the bottle with an airlock and wait 48 hours. Just like the fermentation process in winemaking, the juice’s natural sugars are converted into ethanol, with carbon dioxide being produced as a by-product. The result is an alcoholic drink with a champagne-like perlage.

I bought a box of these magic bacteria and started experimenting. The guide recommends using filtered juices that do not require refrigeration and are not artificially sweetened. But I’m bad at following directions and I don’t trust any juice that doesn’t need refrigeration. I grabbed a bottle of pink lemonade, mango, blackberry and sweet tea from Trader Joe’s. The pink lemonade worked well – after 48 hours it was quite fizzy, although I couldn’t really taste the alcohol. The sweet tea bubbled a little, but it didn’t taste “spiky” either – it just tasted awful. The mango juice (which was not fully filtered) formed large solid lumps during fermentation. Not sure why, but they were gross so I filtered them out with cheesecloth before drinking. Some fizz again, no buzz.

The blackberry juice was by far the winner. It also developed some solids (although it was a very clear juice to begin with) and you would never mistake it for wine, but it was delicious. Think Blackberry Lambic, but with an adjusted price of $1.75 per bottle (64 ounces of juice for $3, $1.50 per pack of yeast, 25 ounces in a wine bottle). This is something I would make again and certainly something I would serve to guests for dinner or to perishable children.

The directions state that you can let the fermentation last longer than 48 hours to get up to 14% ABV. It also recommends using Welch’s or Ocean Spray – I think we have to agree on disagreeing. The best thing about this product for me is that it gives you the freedom to choose great starting ingredients like a locally produced cider or raspberry juice from plants in your garden. But for the fun of quick, easy DIY schnapps, I raise my glass to this product!

Spike Your Juice – $9.99 (or $20 for a 2-pack on Amazon)

Scott Heimendinger is the man behind one of our go-to resources for compulsive cooking, Seattle Food Geek, where this post originally appeared.

Have you ever made your own hooch? Tell us in the comments.

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Instructions for making lemonade:

Mix the water, sugar and yeast, pour into a plastic lemonade bottle and screw on. It will be fizzy in a few days, and the plastic bottle feels firm and cannot be squeezed.

ingredients

2 tablespoons sugar syrup

1 cup liquid (such as fruit juice, tea or flavored herbal tea, or water with a teaspoon of flavor extract. Vanilla extract gives it a creamy soda flavor)

a pinch of yeast or a spoonful of starter yeast or wild yeast

pinch of cream of tartar

Method:

Mix and pour into a 1 pint plastic bottle with lemonade.

Screw the lid tight.

When plastic becomes solid and can no longer be squeezed, the soda is carbonated.

Refrigerate and drink.

This bottle is not yet ready to drink.

You may have to do this a few times, fine-tuning the levels of simple syrup, flavor, yeast, and time and temperature until you get to what works for you.

Accurate measurements and ingredients are only important if you’re trying to brew an exact clone of another soda, ale, or pint. If so, follow their instructions. For home brewing you only need a rough guide because you will eventually make it how you like it. You should remember these principles:

The more sugar you throw in, the sweeter your homemade brew will be.

The longer you let it ferment, the less sweet and more alcoholic it becomes.

Make your own flavors. To add spices or roots for flavoring, add the spices and roots to the water and set on very low, slow heat for a day or two before using to mix with sugar. Popular spices include: nutmeg, clove, licorice root, star anise and ginger.

The sugar can come from many sources, such as malt extract, corn syrup, golden syrup, rice syrup, and white sugar. (High fructose corn syrup is not recommended.)

Yeast is best when it is alive, active and from a previous batch. If you need to start with dry yeast, it can take a while to get going. Making soda the “never-ending” way, always using the dregs of the last bottle to start the next bottle means you only have to wait once for the yeast to wake up. A bit of slurry or batter from bread dough if you’re making your own bread dough would work, although yeast developed for making ale or beer will turn out to be a better product.

A yeast starter is better to start fermentation. Although dry store-bought yeast can be used by mixing it with the wet ingredients of whatever you want to make, it’s better to start the yeast in a liquid and then add it to what you want to ferment . Starting with a yeast starter means your yeast is alive, active, and—most importantly—hungry, ready to eat and digest—fermenting—the sugars you feed it and turning it into a healthy fermented food or drink for you .

https://sites.google.com/site/yankeeharp/fizzydrink

For information on using wild or air yeast, see Harvesting Wild Yeast.

If you’re having trouble getting a batch to brew, make sure the room temperature is warm enough and/or add a yeast nutrient to the brew like whole wheat flour, sediment from other brews, more malt extract, or some brewer’s or nutritional yeast.

You may find that after you’ve brewed soda for a while and have a strong culture of yeast running, you no longer need to add cream of tartar to get good fizz and only need sugar, yeast, flavorings, and water.

If you don’t check every day and the lemonade ferments longer than it takes to make a lemonade, you’ll have a product that’s less sweet and more alcoholic; In other words, the soda almost turns into beer and then ale. The alcohol can be much higher than store-bought ale or beer. If there is enough sugar in it, it can become as alcoholic as wine. If this happens and you’re happy with the alcohol but just don’t like the taste, you can add a little simple syrup to sweeten it to your liking.

Use dry yeast and store-bought flavorings to make a gallon of soda

Preparation:

Dissolve 1/8 teaspoon of yeast in a cup of warm water for about 5 minutes

Mix together:

?1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon aroma extract

?2 1/2 cups simple syrup

3 liters + 1 cup of water

Pour liquid into plastic bottles, leaving a few inches of air at the top.

Cap the bottle tightly and wait 4-6 days, or until the bottle feels tight and cannot be squeezed.

Refrigerate and drink.

No cook soda pop

Equipment needed:

2 2 liter or 0.5 gallon plastic soda pop bottle with screw cap.

A large 1 gallon bottle with a secure fitting cap

Ceramic coffee mug

Ingredients:

Natural extract soda flavors like pekmez, elderberry syrup, vanilla, or store-bought organic flavor extracts

2 1/4 cups sugar

water

1/8 teaspoon dry yeast (wine, ale, or bread yeast will all work)

1 cup warm water (water should feel warm but not hot)

(1 cup yeast starter can be used instead of dry yeast and warm water)

Dissolve yeast in water and keep warm, stirring with a plastic spoon, for 5 minutes.

Mix together 2 1/4 cups white sugar, 20 mL (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) flavor extract, the dissolved yeast, and enough additional water (yeast starter) to make 1 gallon together in the gallon pitcher.

Shake to mix for about 2 minutes until the sugar has completely dissolved in the water.

Pour half of the liquid into each of the two 2 liter bottles, cap tightly and wait 4-6 days.

You can see how your fizz is developing simply by squeezing the bottles. If they get too hard, open the lid and let some of the carbonation out.

If the bottle feels tight and cannot be squeezed, refrigerate and drink within a few days.

..

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Secondary fermentation is used to make sparkling wine. Still, you can definitely add sparkle to your wine! While not recommended by the manufacturer, you can definitely use your Soda Stream to carbonate still wine. There will be bubbles in the water, but it won’t be the same as before.

Can you make alcohol out of soda? If you want to ferment as usual, mix cane sugar and water in proportion to get desired alcohol level. You can buy fountain soda syrup from a local restaurant, mix it in after fermentation and carbonate it.

Can you make wine with cola? Calimocho, also known as calimocho, is a sophisticated Spanish drink with a sophisticated taste, but it only consists of two ingredients: red wine and cola. This cocktail from the Basque Country tastes almost like sangria or Spanish vermouth thanks to the dry wine and sweet cola.

Can cola ferment into alcohol? Based on their calculations, the alcohol content in one liter is only 10 mg, which means there is no alcohol in the drink. There is one cent of alcohol in 100 milliliters.

Can you make wine out of soda? A red wine spritzer has the same spritzer ratio as a soda water spritzer. We like that white wine or rose spritzer are a little less diluted. If using wine, use 3 parts to 1 part soda water.

Can soda be fermented? Cultivation of a starter culture is necessary for the fermentation of soda. A sugar-free soda is created when the culture uses up all of the sugar during fermentation, resulting in a bubbly, flavorful, sugar-free beverage. To craft soda, you must first craft it. Cultured fruit and sugar water should be added to the culture first to create a probiotic sparkling water.

Can you use Sodastream for wine? SodaStream says if you carbonate any liquid other than water, you’ll damage your machine, resulting in a giant mess.

How do you make Sodastream wine? Remove the cap from the SodaStream and after filling halfway with white wine, unscrew the bottle. You want to leave extra headroom so the wine is non-carbonated. Pour your wine until it is just below the line. Once the bottle is filled and capped, put it back in.

Can you carbonate alcohol? There are a variety of spirits that can be carbonated, some of which work better than others. The taste is flat, but gin carbonates easily. Glas suggests mixing this into a cocktail rather than drinking it straight. Carbonated rum, on the other hand, doesn’t carbonate well.

Can you turn soda into wine? There will be no real difference between the two. Secondary fermentation is used to make sparkling wine. The manufacturer does not recommend using Soda Streams for carbonating still wines, but you can certainly use them. There will be bubbles in the water, but it won’t be the same as before.

Is coke and wine good? When you mix cheap red wine with Coca Cola you don’t get a lot of flavor nuance because cheap red wine is cheap the better and when it’s out of a box, bull’s eye, you don’t get a lot of flavor. However, as with most cheap and easy drinks, over time you will build a tolerance and then appreciate it more and more. You will soon reach the point of fiery passion.

Can Coca-Cola turn into alcohol? In the United States, Coca-Cola Co. and Molson Coors Beverage Co. will launch an alcoholic version of Topo Chico sparkling water called Topo Chico Alcoholic. This will be the country’s first alcoholic drink to be sold by the drinks giant.

What happens when you ferment cola? A sugar-free soda is created when the culture uses up all of the sugar during fermentation, resulting in a bubbly, flavorful, sugar-free beverage. ” . If the juice is high in sugar, let it steep for 6 to 12 hours.

Can anything be fermented into alcohol? In alcoholic fermentation, sugars are converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide by the action of yeasts, which means that alcoholic fermentation is an anaerobic process. Yeasts are responsible for this process, and no oxygen is needed, so alcohol fermentation is an anaerobic process.

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What do you drink with your vodka? This is a question many people ask themselves when looking for something to mix their vodka with. There are many options out there, but not all mixers work well with every type of vodka.

Here are 15 good vodka mixers (ranked by taste):

1. Cranberry Juice

The combination of sweet and tart flavors in this mixer will enhance your vodka drink. All you need is some ice, some sugar to taste, fresh or canned cranberries (or a mix), sprite or ginger ale for extra zing, and your favorite vodka.

A popular choice would be Gray Goose VXOP as it tastes great when mixed with any fruit flavor like berries or pineapple.

This is also good if you’re looking for something that smells nice as it doesn’t emanate a strong alcohol smell. Even those who don’t normally drink cocktails can enjoy this mix without feeling out of place at an event.

2. Dry vermouth

Dry vermouth is an excellent choice for those who prefer sweet drinks. It pairs well with citrus fruits that pair well with lemon vodka and grapefruit vodka. A dry vermouth martini is also an option if you want to go the classic route.

The Best Dry Vermouth: Carpano Antica Formula and Dolin are the two best choices for those who want quality flavor at an affordable price. Choose the brand that suits your taste better, or experiment and try other options if you can’t decide which one is right for you.

It’s also worth noting that many people use dry vermouth as an ingredient in their cocktails, so it would be wise to always have some on hand.

3. Torade

Gatorade is the perfect mixer for vodka that doesn’t have a strong aftertaste. Because of this, it pairs well with most vodkas and can be mixed with fruit to create a delicious and refreshing summer drink.

If you’re looking for a unique twist on this classic, try mixing it with lemonade to create an exciting twist on traditional vodka and soda.

The Best Gatorade: Gatorade Frost Glacier Freeze is a popular choice because it’s the perfect blend of sweet and refreshing. If you’re looking for something with a little more flavor, try Gatorade Wild Cherry or Lemon Lime.

It’s also worth noting that Gatorade is good for your health. So if you’re trying to offset all those calories by drinking mixed drinks, don’t worry.

It will help you rehydrate after overindulging. However, if it doesn’t work well enough or none is available, remember that water works just as well and reduces hangover symptoms.

4. Diet Coke

Most people like to drink their Diet Coke with vodka, but the two aren’t always compatible. Diet Coke can be used as a blender.

However, I recommend that you mix it in moderation or use another type of alcohol as too much is not good for your teeth.

If you prefer to mix it with vodka, it is best to do this in a 50/50 ratio. You can also try mixing Diet Coke and regular soda for an exciting twist on the classic Sprite vodka drink.

The Best Diet Coke: I suggest using Pepsi or Coca-Cola if you don’t have anything else available. Trying a different type of Diet Coke will also be worthwhile.

It may prove more satisfying depending on how much you like what these two brands already offer.

Warning: if you prefer Diet Coke to the rest of the blenders, I recommend you don’t overindulge. Recent evidence from a study shows that a combination of Diet Coke and alcohol makes the latter more potent.

5. Milk (Fat Free)

A common misconception about milk and vodka is that they don’t taste good together. However, this only applies when using normal milk. Fat-free milk is low in fat and sugar, making it an excellent vodka mixer.

The best way to have them together is to start with adding ice cubes before pouring the mixture into a glass full of crushed ice – perfect for summer days. Although some think milk goes with everything, this is not the case as it doesn’t mix well with certain types of vodka.

Tip: It’s best to avoid adding lemon to vodka if you intend to take it with milk. Otherwise the milk will curdle.

6. Tea (hot)

The key to mixing tea and vodka is using a strong brew that has been left to steep for some time. The longer you leave your tea in the cup before adding liqueur, the more flavorful it will have.

You can use either a tea bag or leaves, depending on your preference.

Some people like to mix it with sugar or honey. Still others prefer to add lemon for a tart taste.

The Best Tea: If you want something sweeter without adding extra calories, try herbal tea before deciding between black or green tea. You can also drink mint tea on hot summer days as long as the outside temperature is not too high.

7. Coffee (hot)

This is another drink that people usually underestimate, but it goes well with many types of vodkas. The combination creates an interesting flavor that some might even prefer. Add milk for richness if you want to try this mix.

The Best Coffee: You can either use instant coffee or brew your own and then add the vodka for a more complex flavor. Try mixing it with cold brew iced coffee if you’re looking for something refreshing in the summer.

Coffee is pretty good when mixed with regular hot water. Using an ice cube, in particular, cools things down just enough to make drinking easier on those days that feel like they’re going by too quickly.

If you find you need some caffeine, opt for decaffeinated tea instead. This version has no side effects when consuming alcohol.

It also has less sugar than black and green tea, so it’s worth trying these options before resorting to other beverages like energy drinks or sodas.

8. Mojito Mint

A classic summer cocktail made with rum, simple syrup, fresh mint leaves and club soda, mojitos are the perfect way to cool off in hot weather while enjoying a drink that’s perfect for summer. Add some vodka to this classic drink and you create a cooling and refreshing drink to enjoy poolside.

You can also substitute vodka for the rum in a Mojito Mint.

The Best Mint: Many types of mint are commercially available, but spearmint is the most common and one of the best varieties to use. It has a strong, sweet flavor with an intense aroma that also makes it great when mixed with vodka.

9. Ice Tea

You can use any tea you want to make for this drink, but I recommend using chai for its sweet flavor and complex flavor.

Add some sugar or honey if the tea isn’t sweet enough, then add ice cubes before pouring into a mug with crushed ice and vodka.

The Best Tea: I always recommend chai to anyone who prefers a sweeter flavor without adding extra calories. You can also drink peppermint iced tea or another flavor of green tea on hot summer days for a great taste with less caffeine than black tea.

10. Tomato Juice (Canned)

This blender is perfect for those evenings when you need something refreshing but not overly complicated. It offers just enough sweetness with no added sugars or carbs — making it virtually guilt-free.

Add ice cubes, a few squirts of hot sauce, salt and Worcestershire sauce for a kick. Top off the drink with some olives, carrots, and celery and you have the perfect brunch cocktail.

You can also enjoy vodka and tomato juice neat for something lighter and equally refreshing.

The Best Tomato Juice: There are many types of tomato juices. So I recommend trying different brands until you find one you like best. However, I recommend sticking to canned versions of this drink for a more refreshing taste.

11. Orange Juice (Canned)

Don’t be fooled by their sweet looks – oranges are quite sour and sour, so you’ll need some help from either sugar or vodka to make your own orange juice blender. Add some ice cubes, vodka or other blender before mixing and enjoy.

The Best Orange Juice: There are many types of oranges, so I recommend trying different brands until you find one that suits your taste.

Suppose the juice isn’t sweet enough for you. In this case, mix it with a little sugar or honey for a more pleasant drink.

I also suggest adding this fruit to berry-based cocktails in summer for an exciting twist on your traditional recipe.

12. Apple Juice (Canned)

This particular type of blender is perfect when you’re looking for something light, refreshing – but still flavorful at the same time.

It’s easier than making cider yourself, which means even those who don’t have time to cook can enjoy a tasty drink. Add some ice cubes, vodka or other blender before mixing everything together and enjoying a refreshing drink.

The Best Apple Juice: With so many varieties of apple juice available, you’ll need to try different brands before you find one that suits your tastes.

13. Watermelon Juice

Watermelon juice is a fantastic blender for most alcoholic beverages as it offers a subtle and refreshing sweetness. It’s a summer classic and definitely one to try with your vodka.

It’s also an excellent way to get rid of that hangover as it contains potassium that helps replace electrolytes lost during vomiting or episodes of diarrhea caused by overindulgence.

To create your own cocktail at home, to start, simply mix equal parts vodka and watermelon juice and add some ice cubes to the mixture.

The Best Watermelon Juice: Wonder Melon Organic Watermelon Juice.

This watermelon juice contains only pure organic ingredients and is 100% natural. It’s an excellent substitute for store-bought fruit juices that contain high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners like aspartame — both of which are harmful to your health. This drink also tastes great with vodka.

14. Ginger Ale

Another thing to try is ginger ale. This mixer goes well with cucumber vodka and also goes well with apple pie vodka.

This blend brings out the creamier flavors in your drink of choice. Ginger ale is also a refreshing change from the traditional vodka and tonic.

This blender works well with any vodka and is also easy on the wallet.

15. Sour Mixture

Another of the best vodka mixers is Sour Mix. This mixer gives your favorite vodka a more lemony kick with an extra zing and pairs well with any flavored or unflavored vodka, such as raspberry, cucumber, etc.

This drink also doesn’t add as much sweetness to your cocktail as lime juice can in other drinks, allowing you to taste all the flavors rather than just a sugar overload. Acid mixes are also cheap, making them an even better option for those on a budget.

Serve it cold in summer or hot in winter – it tastes good either way.

A word of caution: Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. It would help to know your limits. Avoid driving under the influence of alcohol. Also, do not drink vodka or other alcohol if you are pregnant or taking medication.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the absolute best thing to mix with vodka?

The absolute best thing to mix with vodka is tomato juice. It has a rich, savory flavor, is low in sugar and carbohydrates, and contains no caffeine. It’s a safe yet tasty mixer for vodka and doesn’t add too many extra calories to your drink.

No matter which blender you choose, a good rule of thumb is always to mix alcohol with a soft drink. This helps dilute the alcohol content of your drink and is an effective way to avoid overindulgence, which has negative consequences such as lack of self-control, vomiting and diarrhea.

Oxidation damages cells and causes aging in the human body.

By adding a soft drink, you reduce the alcohol concentration of vodka. As a result, oxidation doesn’t happen as quickly when water mixes with something acidic or alcoholic (because ethanol forms acids).

Soft drinks typically served in clubs, like soda water, are diluted and have a lower pH than vodka.

What is the healthiest mixer for vodka?

In general, soda water is the healthiest mixer for vodka. It is calorie and sugar free and still pleasantly refreshing. In addition, it does not affect how much alcohol enters the bloodstream when consumed with vodka.

What not to mix with vodka?

You should not mix opioid pain relievers, energy drinks, antibiotics, or cough suppressants with vodka. These drugs can cause serious side effects when combined with alcohol. Also, some of them prevent you from effectively controlling your body and reflexes.

In general, taking medications and alcohol can increase the severity of side effects, such as upset stomach, dizziness, and drowsiness.

Here is a 1 minute video explaining what happens when you mix alcoholic beverages with antibiotics:

The water in vodka can also increase the negative effects on your liver and cause other drugs to respond to your system much more. To be on the safe side, it’s better to avoid them altogether.

Is Sprite and vodka a good mix?

Sprite and vodka is a good mix and offers a light, refreshing taste. This blender can work well in any drink and is affordable too. In addition, this mixture allows the flavors of both drinks to stand out more.

This blender goes well with citrus-flavored vodkas like lemon or orange.

Suppose you want to try chocolate flavors. In that case, Sprite would be an excellent choice for a mixer.

You can even pair strawberry flavor as a pre-dinner appetizer without worrying about spoiling your appetite.

This combination may not work as well. Regardless, it works wonders when it comes to adding extra flavor and enhancing other ingredients mixed into both of these drinks.

The downside of drinking Sprite as a blender is its sugar content – you might want to limit yourself if you’re trying to limit sweets. In particular, mixing high amounts of sugar into your system is also not good for your health.

For more, don’t miss the top 6 alcoholic beverage chasers.

Hello, I’m Anne but my grandkids call me Jelly Grandma. I have over 50 years of experience as a Southern cook and am a retired librarian. I love sharing what I’ve learned. You can also find me on YouTube! Just click the link at the bottom of your page. I hope your visit here was pleasant.

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The 2020 college football season might be a little different, but you can still drive up at home. For all you UF fans out there, here’s a cocktail you’ll want to lay down just for a quick gator chomp before jumping right back into drinking. The Gator mixes Florida vodka, Orange Gatorade (invented by UF) and lemon juice. Topped off with homemade vanilla syrup, this drink is basically a grown-up creamsicle. Check out our recommendations below for the best vodkas distilled in Florida and help support local Florida distilleries. We hope you enjoy the Gator cocktail. Go, alligators!

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What ingredients do I need for the Gator?

The alcohol

The Vodka: Florida has many fantastic smooth vodka options that pair perfectly with The Gator. Our top pick for best value is Coast by Kozuba and Sons Distillery, which you can buy from ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. Not only is this silky vodka well received, but a portion of every sale goes to the Florida Conservation Association. As if that wasn’t enough, it comes in an affordable 1.75 liter box. So it’s easy on both your wallet and the Florida coast!

If you like it a little more upscale, we recommend E11even, the official vodka of Miami’s E11even nightclub. This ultra-smooth premium vodka is made by the Miami Rum Company, which is owned by one of the few black-owned distillers: Toast Distillers.

Recommended Florida Vodka:

Best Price Florida Vodka:

Best Premium Vodka from Florida:

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Get these vodkas delivered right to your door by DRIZLY. Click and use code DRIZLYDEAL for $5 off your first order.

The blenders

The Gatorade: This University of Florida cocktail just had to contain Gatorade. For those of you who don’t know, Gatorade was invented by the University of Florida.

In 1965, a Gators coach met with a team of doctors from the UF College of Medicine to discuss a remedy for the significant weight loss and heat stroke that plagued his players. The researchers, led by Dr. Robert Cade soon found that training and playing in the brutal Florida heat caused players to lose vital components through sweat. Salt, carbohydrates (sugar) and electrolytes. The lab set out to create a formula that would replace these elements. Thus was born the energy drink used by athletes around the world. It was named the Gatorade in honor of its UF origins.

Did it work you ask? Now, a year later, in 1966, the Gators won the Orange Bowl 9-2 for the first time in their history. The drink can now be found on the sidelines of college football fields across the country and is the official drink of the NFL, NBA, PGA, MLB, and MLS. I would say the Gators did a good job.

Use Orange Gatorade in this cocktail recipe to give it that hue of UF Orange. We used whole sugar, but the less sugar versions work well too.

Recommended Juicer: Gatorade Original Thirst Quencher, Orange – 12 Count

The Sweetener: For The Gator we use our homemade vanilla syrup. This simple syrup is ridiculously easy to make and mixed with the orange Gatorade, this drink tastes like a creamsicle!

The citrus fruits: This drink is very sweet, so lemon juice is added to balance that. If your local store or market sells Florida lemons, then great – if not, you may have to settle for those made by our Californian cousins ​​who grow most of the lemons in the country. You can squeeze lemons with your hands, but it won’t yield as much juice. It’s messy too! We recommend buying a juicer, they are fantastic. We use a Zulay citrus press that processes both lemons and limes with equally perfect results.

Recommended Juicer: Zulay Premium Citrus Juicer

What equipment should I use to craft the Gator?

The Glass: Serve The Gator in any type of tumbler glass. We use a Double Rocks glass (also called Double Old Fashioned Glass). This is a great glass to have on hand at all times as it is a versatile glass for all other types of cocktails.

Recommended Glass: MARQUIS by Waterford Double Old Fashioned/Rocks Glasses, Set of 4

The Shaker: Get a good quality cocktail shaker that will stand out on your bar cart. Our favorite shaker is the exquisitely designed patterned brass shaker from Absolut Elyx Boutique. This link will give you $15 off your first order.

Recommended cocktail shaker: ABSOLUT ELYX BOUTIQUE brass pattern cocktail shaker. (Use this link to get $15 off your first order)

How shall I serve the alligator?

Shaken or Stirred: Shake this cocktail with plenty of ice to ensure the Gatorade mixes properly with the rest of the ingredients. If you’re looking for a new cocktail shaker, then we love the beautifully designed brass shaker from Absolut Elyx Boutique. This link will give you $15 off your first order.

Straight up or on the rocks: On the rocks. Serve this refreshing drink over plenty of ice.

Garnish: Place a lemon slice on the rim of the glass. If you’re a University of Florida alumni, stick a mini UF flag at the top.

We hope you enjoy The Gator’s recipe below and, as always, drink locally and responsibly. Cheers, let’s go alligators!

This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission if purchases are made of recommended products. This is at no additional cost to you, and every penny we make goes back toward buying and tasting tastier Floridian drinks.

Other Florida cocktail recipes to try:

Key Lime Whiskey Sour

Cosmofloridan (cosmopolitan)

Florida Orange Daiquiri

South Beach Hot Spring

Grapefruit Martini

Florida Whiskey Smash

Pineapple Margarita

Tom (ahawk) Collins

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The alcohol industry is constantly bringing new products onto the market for health-conscious consumers who want to get their kick and still watch their vitamin C intake. I hate that someone would buy a $20 six-pack of beer with electrolytes when the solution has been 55 frigging years ahead: just put some Gatorade in your beer.

In college (yes, it was Florida) I was involved in an annual event called the Easter Fass Hunt. Basically, it was all about drinking from casks hidden around campus to commemorate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We started early – like 9am or so – and kept going until our bodies failed us. A key to surviving, both stamina-wise and palate-friendly, was to add just a dash of Gatorade to our cups of the cheapest cask, usually Busch. Lemon-lime Gatorade was preferred. Whether this Gatorade refilled me on a molecular level I doubt. But it must have helped fill in some of the hydration gaps I was creating from drinking beer, right?

Maybe this effect was just psychological, but a really good reason to put Gatorade in your beer is simply because it tastes good. Like adding hot sauce to your crappy PBR, a spritz of Gatorade livens up an otherwise plain beer. A shot of Lemon Gatorade (honestly, any flavor would probably work) in a Bud Light (like any cheap, boring beer) tastes almost exactly like a Bud Light Lime, my real favorite beer. People who reject Bud Light Lime are presumptuous – it’s a simple, refreshing beer with the faintest hint of tart sweetness at an affordable price. But as hard seltzer and other fruity beers take up increasing space on shelves, Bud Light Lime’s ubiquity has waned. Of course, it was never readily available in cask form, even in college. So a dash of Gatorade is a way of improvising.

Adding a shot of a sugary drink to beer is certainly not a new concept. I’ve been known to try my hand at mixing Mountain Dew and white wine, but a Radler – beer mixed with an equal amount of Sprite or 7Up – is a perfectly normal thing to order in a British bar (if that’s too much Sprite is, you can also ask for a “top,” which is just a small squirt of soda in your pint, just like I suggest you do with Gatorade). In Germany, a combination similar to Radler is called Radler. (An American version of a shandy usually includes soda and beer instead of lemonade.)

That’s all well and good, and I’m glad to have these more established drinks to back my argument here. But Gatorade is for athletes, which means my beer and Gatorade combo is for athletes, too. I’m giving my body the sodium intake it needs to provide me with the nutrients and water that the beer used up. It might sound silly, but so does proboatic alcohol, adaptogenic alcohol, vitamin-fortified alcohol, or whatever other weird health fad is dragged to its ultimate death in the form of alcohol. At least Gatorade stands the test of time.

Alcohol and exercise don’t usually go well together. But is beer brewed with electrolytes the exception to the rule?

These new wellness beers are dubbed “exercise friendly” because they contain less alcohol than traditional beers and are fortified with electrolyte minerals like sodium, potassium or calcium to replenish electrolytes lost through sweat – much like your favorite sports drink. But is it really a good idea to drink them? Here’s what the experts say.

The claim:

Beer made with electrolytes — like Sufferfest Brewing Company’s FKT and Mispillion River Brewing Company’s War Llama — can replenish fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat during exercise just as effectively as water or sports drinks, thereby increasing or helping you perform to recover faster .

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The proof:

It’s no secret that alcohol can interfere with your workouts — it’s a diuretic, so it causes you to pee more, which can leave you dehydrated. And if you overdo it, you can end up with headaches, nausea, vomiting and other uncomfortable symptoms (aka a brutal hangover) that can ruin your ride.

Electrolyte beers aim to counteract this problem in two ways: First, their alcohol content is fairly low — around 2 to 3 percent by volume (ABV). (Most traditional beers are 4 percent ABV or more.) And they also contain the kind of electrolyte minerals you might find in a typical sports drink.

“Sodium and potassium play a variety of roles in the body, and an important role for athletes is balanced muscle contraction,” explains sports nutritionist Amy Goodson, R.D., C.S.S.D. “When your electrolytes are out of balance, cramps can occur.” Sodium also promotes fluid retention and helps your body rehydrate after a sweat.

Are these benefits enough to counteract the negative effects of alcohol? Some studies have shown that low-alcohol beer (less than 3 percent ABV) with added sodium is less dehydrating than sodium-free beer with more alcohol when drunk during or after exercise. And every beer, regardless of the alcohol or electrolyte content, provides carbohydrates that can help you replenish your stores post-workout. Beer is also a source of polyphenols — antioxidants that have been shown to counteract inflammation and promote muscle recovery.

But that’s not enough to convince most experts that beer made with electrolytes actually boosts your performance or helps you recover. Just because a low-alcohol brew is more hydrating than an alcoholic one doesn’t necessarily make it the best choice. Why? Because a lot of alcohol will probably still dehydrate you. “The drying effects appear to outweigh the benefits,” says Goodson.

As for the carbs and antioxidants? These benefits aren’t enough to justify choosing an electrolyte beer over, say, a healthy snack. “Beer lacks many of the other nutrients found in whole foods,” says sports nutritionist Kelly Jones, R.D., C.S.S.D. And the anti-inflammatory benefits of polyphenols are likely to be trumped by the pro-inflammatory effects of alcohol. (One study found that subjects who drank beer regularly in the weeks before and after a marathon had less post-race inflammation. The catch? The beer was non-alcoholic.)

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There’s more: Regardless of what beneficial compounds may be in your brew, alcohol has the potential to impair—not improve—your performance and recovery. “It can disrupt glycogen replenishment by decreasing uptake and storage, as well as decreasing muscle repair and muscle protein synthesis,” says Jones.

Watch: Which recovery beers passed our taste test?

The judgment:

Electrolyte-infused low-alcohol beer may be a slightly better choice than traditional, higher-alcohol beers. But it’s far from the best option. The dehydrating effects of alcohol outweigh any potential benefits of added electrolytes.

“Alcohol definitely doesn’t improve performance and probably doesn’t help recovery,” says Goodson. “If beer has electrolytes, then yes, it supplies them as a replacement, but that doesn’t mean it counteracts all of the dehydration effects.” Also, consuming alcohol after a workout might slow down your muscle recovery for the next time.

Does that mean you should never have one? Electrolyte beers are okay after a workout every once in a while, like when you’re partying after a race, Goodson notes. But you should never have them before you’re active or while you’re exercising, as the alcohol could make you clumsier and more prone to accidents, Jones adds. You should also stay away when coming back from an illness or injury, as alcohol can worsen your recovery, she adds.

And if you’re indulging, enjoy your beer with plenty of water and a sports drink or snack, not in their place. “I would never recommend athletes to replace all their fluids with beer,” she says.

Marygrace Taylor Marygrace Taylor is a health and wellness writer for Prevention, Parade, Women’s Health, Redbook, and others.

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