Geeky Mocktails for a Game Store! Calling all Mixologists

[Corbin Atkinson]

Hello!

I run a game store and we're looking into acquiring a few glass beverage dispensers for our customers to use while participating in events and hanging out. We wanted to geek it up and make them be something like Mana and Health Potions. Yes, I know there are products that achieve this, but I want to make this in bulk and use it to add some flare to my store. I searched for recipes and looked all over the web, but I haven't found anything that fits what I'm thinking. So.. I figured I'd ask my fellow RPGers in hopes that someone here has experience with this kind of thing.

What I envision-

At least 2 drinks-
Something bright blue, something bright red.. maybe green (needs to pop in the glass dispenser)

I'd like one of them to be caffeinated and at least one caffeinated option.


So the above are somewhat easy to accomplish.. these are the hard parts-

I'd like them to be healthy and not soda or sugar based..
I'd like them to be good..
Not overly difficult to make..

We currently stock soda and energy drinks and while we make a couple dollars off the sales of these.. I'd really like something less likely to lead to health problems Watching teenagers and young adults down 5x bottles of coke or 4 monsters makes me cringe.

All help and advice is appreciated!

 

[Morrus]

We published an article about that very thing in EN5ider a month or two back. Recipes and everything!

 

[Corbin Atkinson]

We published an article about that very thing in EN5ider a month or two back. Recipes and everything!

Awesome- what was the title of the article? I found the Dungeons and Drinking, but it didn't have a lot of options that could be made non-alcoholic and semi- healthy

 

[was]

I'd like them to be healthy and not soda or sugar based.

...not having any sort of sweetners could be a problem. Relatively healthy and non-caffeinated?

..maybe lemonade with some blue food coloring for 'Mana' potion?

..you could also mix fruit punch with sprite or seven up to make your 'Health' potion.

...both should be relatively cheap to make in bulk and give you a good profit margin.

 

[Morrus]

Awesome- what was the title of the article? I found the Dungeons and Drinking, but it didn't have a lot of options that could be made non-alcoholic and semi- healthy

No, I don't think we were aiming at "healthy" when designing cocktails.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I don't do true mixology, but I like to be creative in the kitchen...

I'd take inspiration from those drinks you find in trendy/organic grocery stores & dining establishments. You know, the ones that are made with things like apple juice, grape juice, carrot juice...and broccoli, kale, seaweed or spinach. (Or whatever.) Very healthy from a vitamin standpoint, and taste mostly of fruit with a slight herbal kick. If you're doing it yourself, adding actual herbs like mint might be a good idea.

I know a lot of Mediterranean restaurants do mixes containing 7-12 fruits & veggie juices. And some of the Mexican restaurants around where I love serve watermelon juice over crushed ice.

A Columbian restaurant near me mixes South American fruit juice and either a slushy ice mix or ice and milk- kind of like a milkshake or smoothie in texture.

A little soda water or ginger ale mixed in a drink can give a drink a bit of kick without adding much in terms of calories. Hell, Izze drinks are just soda water and fruit juice mixed in a 30/70 ratio. Plenty of flavor with fewer calories than pure fruit juice.

 

[Corbin Atkinson]

...not having any sort of sweetners could be a problem. Relatively healthy and non-caffeinated?

..maybe lemonade with some blue food coloring for 'Mana' potion?

..you could also mix fruit punch with sprite or seven up to make your 'Health' potion.

...both should be relatively cheap to make in bulk and give you a good profit margin.

I was thinking of a lemonade mix, it doesn't need to be sugar free.. just trying to make it more natural and less High Fructose Corn Syrup etc.

No, I don't think we were aiming at "healthy" when designing cocktails.

Can't blame you there, but as mentioned in the OP, I'm looking for something a little different.

I don't do true mixology, but I like to be creative in the kitchen...

I'd take inspiration from those drinks you find in trendy/organic grocery stores & dining establishments. You know, the ones that are made with things like apple juice, grape juice, carrot juice...and broccoli, kale, seaweed or spinach. (Or whatever.) Very healthy from a vitamin standpoint, and taste mostly of fruit with a slight herbal kick. If you're doing it yourself, adding actual herbs like mint might be a good idea.

I know a lot of Mediterranean restaurants do mixes containing 7-12 fruits & veggie juices. And some of the Mexican restaurants around where I love serve watermelon juice over crushed ice.

A Columbian restaurant near me mixes South American fruit juice and either a slushy ice mix or ice and milk- kind of like a milkshake or smoothie in texture.

A little soda water or ginger ale mixed in a drink can give a drink a bit of kick without adding much in terms of calories. Hell, Izze drinks are just soda water and fruit juice mixed in a 30/70 ratio. Plenty of flavor with fewer calories than pure fruit juice.

Right, that's what I've been looking at. I used to take a pre-workout drink by MusclePharm it was Blue Raspberry flavored and had a great color. While it wasn't unhealthy.. it's a little too caffeinated for people playing D&D and MTG. Not to mention the Creatine and other work out aids that aren't necessary. A juice and soda water based drink with a dash of extreme food coloring might be the best I can come up with.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Just in case you hadn't thought of it, don't forget to check with your city food & bev regulators to make sure you have all the right licenses, permits, inspections and equipment to serve food you're preparing yourselves (as opposed to bottled/canned stuff).

 

[Corbin Atkinson]

Just in case you hadn't thought of it, don't forget to check with your city food & bev regulators to make sure you have all the right licenses, permits, inspections and equipment to serve food you're preparing yourselves (as opposed to bottled/canned stuff).

Yup- this is handled

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I’m definitely an amateur mixologist, and have been known to enjoy and/or create geeky cocktails. For the caffeinated, there’s the Horde Orc Cocktail (I don’t drink Mt. Dew, so I substitute sparkling water. Either way, the drink is very visually striking):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8j5O-0AU2M

The Cliffracer (Skyrim-themed) is a ridiculously tasty and drinkable beverage:

http://videogamewriters.com/new-yea...traight-from-the-bee-and-barb-in-skyrim-34243

Of these two, the mana potion is pretty tasty, but I've yet to try the health potion:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/290904457154841608/

Viniq, this weird purple shimmery stuff, looks cool but can be really hard to work with. It can be mixed with ginger ale or ginger beer. I did come up with my own shot with it though, inspired by Out of the Abyss:

Lost in the Underdark:

.5 oz dark rum
.25 oz gold rum
.25 oz crème Yvette
.5 oz viniq