Cocktails with a Healthy Twist

While nutrition experts are quick to point out that "juicetails" and "kaletinis" aren’t exactly health food, they're certainly not bad for you (insert the "in moderation" speech here). These cocktails have a freshness about them, and the juices are, at the very least, a nutritional step up from Day-Glo margarita mixes and their kin. And if you manage to swallow a few extra nutrients while getting a buzz, well, consider it a bonus.

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Green Margarita

Granny Smith apples, romaine lettuce and a fresh cucumber lend this refreshing margarita its bright-green hue. Decorate the rim with salt and spike the juice with your favorite tequila — silver is particularly nice.

Get the Recipe: Green Margarita

Kombucha-cha-cha

Kombucha (sweet-sour fermented tea) gets a boost of sweetness from tropical coconut rum. Try it with bottled passion fruit-flavored kombucha, but feel free to use your own brew.

Get the Recipe: Kombucha-cha-cha

Beet Negroni

Beet juice stands in for vermouth in this earthy, refreshing take on a Negroni. If your favorite taste is bitter, this is your drink.

Get the Recipe: Beet Negroni

Orange You Glad

Bitters add bracing structure to this sweet juice cocktail. If you can't find orange bitters, just use regular cocktail bitters.

Get the Recipe: Orange You Glad

Green Gimlet

Tart greens-based juice stands in for lime juice in this twist on a gimlet; nothing says "healthy-ish" like adding alcohol and sugar syrup to green juice.

Get the Recipe: Green Gimlet

Pink Derby

Bourbon, honey and a homemade kiwi-watermelon-lime concoction come together to form this celebratory pink juice cocktail.

Get the Recipe: Pink Derby

Tropical Spice Cocktail

Tart mango-pineapple juice gets a burst of sweetness from nutty amaretto and warming spiced rum. Garnish this with an umbrella if you're feeling fancy.

Get the Recipe: Tropical Spice Cocktail

Kale Mary

Think of this as the Bloody Mary's green cousin. It would also be good with chia seeds blended in for extra fiber.

Get the Recipe: Kale Mary

Gin and Juice

Leave artificial, store-bought juices behind and give this easy, crowd-pleasing drink a sophisticated makeover. Fresh basil and gin add lovely herbal-vegetal notes to sweet strawberry-apple juice.

Get the Recipe: Gin and Juice

Zapperback

Depending on your maturity level, you might be familiar with the pickleback: the shot of whiskey followed immediately by the shot of bracing pickle brine. Well, this is that, except with bracing lemon-ginger juice instead. It may make you forget you have a cold.

Get the Recipe: Zapperback