Thursday 5 September 2013

Vegan MoFo 2013 - Thirsty Thursday

Thirsty Thursday is one of the themes we came up with in the Vegan MoFo workshop at Vida Vegan Con and I jumped on it because I love the idea of a no-cook day!

Today I thought I'd show you some of my favourite drinks, alcoholic and non. I recently got the book 365 vegan smoothies because I was trying to convince myself that I don't need a juicer!


So far it's not really working and the only smoothie I've loved enough to make again is the first one I tried. The Sassy Green Kick-Start is delicious and packed full of kale, banana, oranges, green grapes and lemon juice. I sub regular water for the coconut because, ew, I tried it a couple of times and I think it ruins everything it touches!

This next one is the best green juice I've ever tasted. It's from Chaco Canyon in Seattle and it's an apple, orange, spinach and mint combo that made my tastebuds explode. What can I say, I like my juices fruity.


I also enjoy a fancy fruity cocktail from time to time. I'm not a huge drinker but this Rhubarb G + T from Terre a Terre sucked me right in.


I also love the cocktail night that Boho Gelato put on in conjunction with Slice Sussex, this monthly event always makes half of the list vegan so that everyone can enjoy. If you're in Brighton the next one's tomorrow.


Green Juices are hard to come by in Brighton, although I've been tipped off recently that Guarana Bar on Sydney Street is the place to go, and when you can't go green go red! This strawberry, kale, broccoli and spinach combo is jam packed with vitamin c and more importantly it's delicious.


I'm also a big fan of peach juice, I hardly ever spot this so when I do I dive right in.


Cider has always had a special place in my heart, in my teens and early twenties I used to drink a lot of cheap dirty cider but now I have the occasional nice cider. Honestly my alcohol tolerance is low enough that just one of these Strawberry Lime Rekorderling ciders can push me over the edge!


Probably my favourite and impossible to find drink is lonkero, or, gin in a tin! It's Finnish and it used to be on sale at one of my favourite pubs, The Northern Lights. It's currently unavailable which makes me a little sad - do we need to have another protest?


I'm occasionally partial to a beer or two. Corona is great when paired with a burrito and a lime slice. 


My favourite beer of all is Lone Star, I'm not really a beer connoisseur so I can't really explain why. I think it might be because it reminds me of Austin!


I spent a long time researching vegan stouts before visiting Ireland earlier this year (wow, was that really only this year? That's crazy.) and my favourite ended up being O'Hara's. I hadn't drunk stout since going vegetarian many years ago and I really enjoyed reuniting with an old favourite.


My other favourite drinks are root beer (which is getting a post of its very own) and water which, lets face it, isn't something I can really blog about. Just in case you're fascinated by my water consumption I drink around 3 litres a day and whilst I like it fancied it up with a slice of cucumber on occasion I need you to keep your lemon slices well away!

Not all vegans are bothered about whether what they're drinking is vegan but I am. We're lucky in the UK because a lot of the big supermarkets including Sainsbury's, The Co-op and Marks & Spencer's label their alcohol as vegan in the same way that they label their food. That definitely makes shopping easier! I also use Barnivore and UK site Veggie Wines to do my research into branded drinks and, as I'm sure you can see, I'm not missing out on any fun!

23 comments:

  1. I love this post!
    I really want to try that Rhubarb G + T!
    I love rhubarb
    Loving your MOFO posts
    x

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  2. Strawberry Lime Cidre? Yes, there needs to be another protest!

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  3. I don't think I've ever had peach juice, except blended with other fruit. Sounds right up my alley!

    I'd also like to dive into that burrito.

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  4. Great Post, that O'Hara's looks good. I have the 365 Smoothies book too and i've made quite a few fruity, or almond-chocolate smoothies from it that I liked. There was a good strawberry matcha one.

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  5. Mmm drinks! And yeah, coconut water is gross.

    From 365 I've made the oatmeal smoothie (amazing) and the watermelon slushy (pretty good).

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  6. Shout out for Barnivore; they are lifesavers. Also, star ice cubes? Bravo, madam; bravo. I'm not into green juices, but I've been drinking green smoothies for breakfast for just about 2 months and it's a great way to get your veggies (and some fruits) in as you start the day! I feel like with juices you throw out all the good stuff.

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  7. I love the Naked Green Machine that's available here and Stateside. The product itself if vegan, but I'm not sure about parent company status.

    Also, I agree about coconut water. I tried a sample when I was at Whole Foods in Chicago last year, and I almost spit it out. That stuff is nasty.

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  8. Oops, sorry about what I said about my title! Hehe.

    I love stout, still have one bottle of Lancaster Black (marked vegan on the bottle!) left over from holiday in the Lake District, this is making me want to crack it open. You're never drinking alone when you've got the internet, right?

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  9. Oh man, I tried to keep my attention on the juices, but I get suckered right into the booze. Love the stout!

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  10. I want that smoothie. Now. And I'm with ya on the lemon in water. I like the cucumber better. Orange is also good option. But plain iced is where it's at.

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  11. Root beer is definitely one of my favorite drinks!

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  12. Strawberry Lime Cider? Yes, please! I mean....Mmmmmm, Green Juices. I love Barnivore. My favorite vegan stout is Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout. Otherwise I'm a Belgian beer girl, most of them just happen to be vegan. Looking forward to your root beer post. I haven't had it in ages.

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  13. I'm so proud of you, making green smoothies :P

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  14. I love all of these drink options. Cider and I had a long history together as well. In my teens I stayed with a family in Guildford... my friends and I would often purchase large bottles of cider to drink before we went out dancing. Ah the memories.

    I'm not sure if you've seen this site before but it gives lots of great recipes for juices and smoothies. Enjoy! http://blendedrecipes.com/

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  15. I love your star-shaped ice cubes!! They're so cute! I feel like I should go down to Brighton sometime for the Slice/Boho Gelato drinks purely because they sound amazing, but it's a bit of a trek for drinks and if I got tipsy (which happens after 1 drink for me!) it might be difficult to get back to London!

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  16. JOJO! Your blog came up FIRST today on the Random mofo generator! It's a sign! I got out of work late, and had nothing interesting to post, but your Thirsty Thursday Theme has saved me! Thank you ^_^

    PS, get a juicer :))) And gin in a tin?!?! That has to be the best thing I've heard yet

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  17. Aw Lone Star!!!! Woman after my own heart right now. Sometimes there's nothing more refreshing :)

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  18. I love this post! I am a massive smoothie fan and I have recently started having them every other day to boost my energy. I used homemade almond milk and a banana as a base, then added some green veggies and Spirulina. I had to hold my nose and down it! Ahhh no pain no gain. Ha! I think I need to add more fruit. Thanks for the yummy recipe idea.

    I havent been to the NL in ages! Great video! That is why I love Brighton!

    Happy VeganMoFo

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  19. Cocktails...yum!!

    I like one of those Strawberry Lime ciders every now and then, though more than one I find a bit too much. They are super yum with some mint leaves added too!

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  20. The Sassy Green Kick-Start sounds like my ideal smoothie, I love kale! I don't think I see kale here in Spain. I was tempted to make some kale salads here in Spain, but the markets/groceries don't carry them. Maybe it's not seasonal, or maybe it's available in some countries. Mmm, I love some fancy fruity cocktail (I'm a fruity type, too!) and ...... YES.....that Scandinavian cider! I love them! I used to drink them in Denmark. Aren't supermarkets in the UK amazing? I love their bright labels!

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  21. It's been so warm here that all of these look like something I could go for right now, espesh the rhub g&t!

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  22. Rhubarb booze sounds amazing!

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