The Bite (Issue 35): Let's talk about that "healthy coke"

Plus, a cocktail recipe Last weekend, TikTok was packed with videos of sunshine-y influencers pouring balsamic vinegar into glasses of fruit-flavored sparkling water until the concoction began to look vaguely inky. This, they said, was their “[healthy Coke](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkkENTP0QyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGlrdG9rLmNvbS9kaXNjb3Zlci9IZWFsdGh5LWNva2UtZHJpbmtXA3NwY0IKYqJTvq1iUI-0jFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAl).” I tend to be skeptical about the way in which society at large — though a particular ilk of women’s magazines, in particular — try to rebrand totally normal ingredients as substitutes for dishes deemed too decadent, like calling raw, crispy pieces of lettuce “[lettuce chips](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkkENTP0RMaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubmV3c3dlZWsuY29tL3Rpa3Rvay1sZXR0dWNlLWNoaXBzLXZpZGVvLWZvb2QtaGFjay1yZWNpcGUtMTY4NTM5N1cDc3BjQgpiolO-rWJQj7SMUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~)” or claiming that an apple topped with almond butter and miniature chocolate chips is a “[fruit cupcake.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkkENTP0RaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMTgvMDkvMTQvdGhlLW1vc3QtdmVyc2F0aWxlLWNob2NvbGF0ZS1jdXBjYWtlLXJlY2lwZS1ldmVyX3BhcnRuZXIvVwNzcGNCCmKiU76tYlCPtIxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~)” However, the number of folks smiling with their glasses of sparkling [balsamic vinegar](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkkENTP0RhaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMTgvMDkvMjkvaXMtYXBwbGUtY2lkZXItdmluZWdhci1nb29kLWZvci15b3UtYW4tZXhwZXJ0LXdlaWdocy1pbl9wYXJ0bmVyL1cDc3BjQgpiolO-rWJQj7SMUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~)seemed like an indication that the concoction was good, refreshing even. That is not the case. Now, to be clear, I love cocktails with a vinegar twist. I actually have [two shrubs](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkkENTP0RwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMDUvMzAvYS1zcGxhc2gtb2YtdmluZWdhci1tYWtlcy1hbG1vc3QtZXZlcnl0aGluZy1hdC1hLXN1bW1lci1jb29rb3V0LXNvLW11Y2gtYmV0dGVyL1cDc3BjQgpiolO-rWJQj7SMUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~)— a peach-rosemary and a mixed berry blend — prepping in my kitchen right now and I can’t wait to pour them over ice with a little bourbon or gin, respectively. Heck, I even like a splash of apple cider vinegar in my morning glass of ice water just to wake up the ol’ taste buds. But in order to get this “healthy Coke” to look remotely like the videos on TikTok you couldn’t just spike your sparkling water with a dash or two of vinegar. It was more like 6 tablespoons which really left you thinking “I’m drinking vinegar and wish that I was drinking a soda.” That’s just not satisfying. What is, however, is a cocktail that takes the idea of a fresher, cooler Coke and executes it in a way that is actually drinkable. In this case, that’s gin spritz with a balsamic-cherry shrub. In this special recipe edition of The Bite, let’s dive into how to make it. — Ashlie Stevens, deputy food editor. *** Recipe: Gin spritz with balsamic-cherry shrub Ingredients Shrub 1 cup of cherries ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons of white sugar Cocktail 4 ounces of gin (for a non-alcoholic version, use a brand like Seedlip) 2 ounces of cherry shrub Slash of soda water Cherries for garnish Directions In a small saucepan, add the cherries, balsamic vinegar and white sugar — as well as enough water to cover the entire mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat to steady simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the mixture from heat and place in a sealable jar or container and allow it to sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Strain the cherries from the mixture and reserve the resulting shrub in a sealable jar. It will keep for about two weeks. To make the cocktail itself, mix 4 ounces of gin and the cherry shrub over ice — use crushed pellet ice if you’d like more of a slushie effect — before splashing with soda water. Garnish with an extra cherry or two. Our mailing address: 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200 Wilmington, DE 19801 [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkkENTP0Q8aHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvdGhlLWJpdGUvdW5zdWJzY3JpYmU_aWQ9QDM0NTA5VwNzcGNCCmKiU76tYlCPtIxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) Copyright © 2022 The Bite, All rights reserved. [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkkENTP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgpiolO-rWJQj7SMUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~)