Before I post this concoction, let me state that I am looking for a creative drink namer, stat. In lieu of having one, you can really call this whatever you’d like to. I’m going to call it the CB Delish.

It’s spicy and citrusy with a real kick that will satisfy the “strong cocktail” urge. Since it contains Aplos, a hemp-derived non-alcoholic spirit, it offers some physiological benefits to your mood as well. Slange Var is a lime, honey and ginger drink made with apple cider, and is very low in sugar.

While my version does include a few pricier bottles that I had on hand, yours absolutely doesn’t need to. Aplos itself is very tart and bitter with a bit of a kick. It’s impossible to hide the flavor, so you need to mix it in a way that doesn’t try to hide it, but rounds it out. Ginger is a perfect match for it, and you could probably mix it with straight ginger beer and a squeeze of fresh lime juice and call it a day.

To make the CB Delish, you’ll need:

• 1/2 oz Aplos
• 1/2 oz Liber & Co Fiery Ginger Syrup
• 1 oz Slange Var
• 2 oz Sparkling Water (I used Liquid Death)

Mix it all up, adjust ingredients to taste and serve it on rocks! Personally, I like a strong cocktail on the rocks, something I have to sip, so I would probably drink it without the sparkling water, however my taste tester (husband) liked it better once the sparkling water was added.

Here is where I bought the products used and links to reviews:

• Aplos from Boisson– Review
• Slange Var from Better Rhodes– Review coming soon
• Liquid Death Sparkling water from my local grocery store, but also available on Amazon.
• Liber & Co Fiery Ginger Syrup from Liber & Co