According to Candle Cafe West’s head bartender, Stephen King, alcohol has long been a foolproof remedy for cowardice.
“That’s where ‘Dutch courage’ comes from,” says King. As for its ability to cure the common cold? The answer is much hazier — but recent research and new infusions with fresh-squeezed citrus prove otherwise.
Scientists from the Oregon Health & Science University recently found drinking in moderation may actually boost your immune system.
Meanwhile, Rouge Tomate’s senior culinary nutritionist, Kristy Del Coro, says, “Studies have shown vitamin C has shortened the duration of colds.”
With that in mind, drink up these citrus-packed cocktails in the name of science.
Blood orange and clementine: Chartreuse Be Told
$14 at Rouge Tomate, 10 E. 60th St.; 646-237-8977
Rouge Tomate head bartender Zach Moore uses freshly squeezed juices from blood oranges and clementines to create the Chartreuse Be Told.
The sweet-tart cocktail is tempered by green Chartreuse, lavender honey syrup and muddled tarragon; finished with a dash of subtly bitter Campari; then poured over ice into a tumbler and garnished with a sprig of tarragon.
“Blood orange is on the tarter side of oranges,” says Moore. “The Chartreuse and lavender honey gives it sweetness.”
But just because it tastes great doesn’t mean it’s bad for you. According to in-house culinary nutritionist Kristy Del Coro: “Because of the blood orange and clementine juice, the cocktail alone provides around 70 percent of the average daily requirement for vitamin C.”
Tangerine: Streamline Baby
$14 at Alder, 157 Second Ave.; 212-539-1900
“Tangerines have better flavor and color than regular oranges,” says bar director Kevin Denton. So instead of regular old OJ, Denton has created a fizzy, refreshing cocktail, based on fresh-squeezed tangerine juice, that offers more than just vitamin C.
“It has rooibos, which has antioxidants and is caffeine-free,” says Denton, who shakes rooibos-infused Beefeater gin and tangerine juice with a half-ounce of lime juice. She strains over ice in a Collins glass, topping the drink off with tonic and a tangerine peel garnish.
“The first thing you get is the nice, bright citrus flavors, then the tannins of the tea take over and, finally, the bitterness of the tonic,” says Denton.
Meyer Lemon: 1850
$15 at Candle Cafe West, 2427 Broadway; 212-769-8900
At the UWS outpost of this vegan restaurant chainlet, the menu includes a list of specialty cocktails labeled “elixirs” — which is not entirely far from the truth: They’re concocted from freshly squeezed juices and meticulously selected spirits free of artificial colorings and sweeteners.
Bartender Stephen King’s Death’s Door gin-based 1850 drink, made with Meyer lemon and lime juices, has even more curative elements, including healthy doses of cilantro (immune-boosting agents, antioxidants), cucumber (vitamins C and K, potassium) and jalapeño (vitamin C), which are shaken with ice and strained into a martini glass.
A final drop of vanilla-infused agave helps make the extraordinarily balanced drink go down so smoothly, you’ll be ordering another before you know it.
Kaffir lime: Southeast Tonic
$10 at Community Food and Juice, 2893 Broadway; 212-665-2800
This popular drink at the Morningside Heights restaurant has it all: kick, fizz, sugar and spice, as well as nuances of a dish you might have in a Thai restaurant. That’s thanks to one of the star ingredients, fresh chiffonade of kaffir lime leaves.
“We created [it] as the perfect complement to our menu, which features American eclectic food with Asian accents,” says owner Dede Lahman.
The American Harvest organic vodka-based cocktail also has kaffir lime liqueur, ginger beer, house-marinated chili peppers, a splash of lime juice and simple syrup made with lemongrass — used to treat fever, flu and headaches. It’s shaken and served over ice in a Collins glass.
Yuzu: Stargazer
$14 at Pure Food and Wine, 54 Irving Pl.; 212-477-1010
The Stargazer tastes similar to light, crisp apple juice, so it makes sense that when you take your first sip of the sake-based drink, “it doesn’t feel like you’re doing something bad,” says Joey Repice, beverage director at the Gramercy raw vegan restaurant.
The organic sake is shaken with yuzu, passion and star-fruit juices — which are packed with antioxidants — as well as a touch of Himalayan sea salt to brighten the flavor, and poured into a martini glass. Last, Repice floats a thinly sliced, dehydrated star fruit cross-section on the surface of the drink.
