If staying at home and social distancing has got you even more tempted to reach for a glass of wine or G&T on a Friday night, especially during the warmer summer days, you’re not alone. When it comes to summer drinks, if you’re looking for something that will have less impact on your body but still just as delicious, why not try a mindful cocktail or two for those sunnier days ahead.
To celebrate the official start to summer, we caught up with Camille Vidal, founder of wellness brand, La Maison Wellness, to talk all things mindful drinking, conscious consumption and her mission to inspire more people to embrace a healthy hedonist lifestyle. Plus, with bar and pub doors still closed, Camille shares some of her favourite summer inspired mindful cocktail recipes to try at home…
Camille, tell us a little about yourself & how you became a mindful drinking expert…
I spent the last decade travelling around the world teaching the art of the aperitif and making cocktails. My work has been deeply influenced by my childhood in France and instilled with French joie de vivre. For me, there is something magical about how food and drink connect people and I wanted to inspire the world to drink well and live well. That’s the reason why I launched La Maison Wellness, a multi media platform dedicated to expanding the conversation around mindful drinking and conscious consumption.
How did you discover your passion for mindful cocktail making?
I wanted to bring mindfulness into the glass and to show the world that it doesn’t have to be boozy, so I started making delicious mindful cocktail recipes without alcohol to show the world how delicious and exciting becoming a mindful drinker is.
Your La Maison Wellness brand is the home for all things mindful drinking, how did this come about?
I’m a drink expert and cocktail creator but also a wellness specialist being a yoga and a meditation teacher. I wanted to bring this new way of life and mindfulness into every aspect of your life, to live like a healthy hedonist. Showing people how to drink well and ultimately, for me what we drink is intrinsically connected to our overall well being.
What does ‘low alcohol’ mean? And is there a threshold we should look out for?
Mindful Drinking isn’t just about alcohol it's about becoming aware of what we drink and how we drink it, it's about prioritising quality over quantity - mindful drinking is about drinking well. That’s why on my website you can find non alcoholic and low alcoholic cocktails. A low alcohol cocktail is focused on reducing the alcohol strength so it's flavourful but less impactful on our well being. Keep the alcohol content to the strength of a beer (average 5%) or less than a glass of wine (average 10%).
What are your top tips for someone who wants to get into mindful cocktail making?
Start by asking yourself questions like what am I drinking? Why? When? With who? When you have this awareness you can then look into finding alternatives with non alcoholic spirits but also understanding how to reduce alcohol content to make low alcohol cocktails. Also, check out my YouTube channel, La Maison Wellness, where you can learn how to make cocktails with myself. I have loads of articles on my website and release a new Mindful Cocktail Recipe every week. I also do lots of events and collaborations with other members of the mindful drinkers community, like the Mindful Drinking Festival.
You’ve been hosting your Mindful Happy Hour Instagram lives every Friday since April, can you explain a little about these…
Every week at 5pm BST live on @lamaisonwellness, I teach a mindful cocktail recipe, it was a way to keep the community connected and to celebrate the end of the week and to try something new and delicious together.
How have you kept positive during these current times?
It's been amazing to remain connected and be able to help through these challenging times, either by sharing my mindful cocktails live or teaching yoga and mindfulness. I found some hidden gifts along the way, slowing down and having more time to be creative, but I'm looking forward to the uplifting feel of people getting together again.
Quick fire questions…
Spring summer or autumn winter cocktails…Spring Summer, I love a spritz in the sunshine!
My go-to mindful cocktail is…A spritz for sure. I love an Italian style bitter liqueur. There are some delicious low alcoholic or even non alcoholic ones.
I find my inspiration…Food and travel. I get inspired by the different cultures around the world and love trying different herbs & spices.
Definition of the perfect cocktail…The perfect cocktail is more that what goes into the glass, it’s the people you share it with and the occasion.
Sweet or sour cocktails…Sour is a beautiful style of cocktail and I love playing with finding the perfect balance of flavour. I love an effervescent cocktail, I find the fizziness of it really refreshing!
When I’m not creating cocktails, I’m…Teaching mindfulness, learning about healing nutrition, eating delicious food and enjoying the sunshine.
Rosé Pamplemousse Recipe
An ultra low alcohol rosé sangria recipe from La Maison Wellness, inspired by the Rosé Pamplemousse, a perfect french aperitif for summer.
Ingredients
1 bottle of Pierre CHAVIN Rosé 5.5%
2 full pipettes of Grapefruit & Hops Bittered Sling Bitter
100ml Raw Honey Water
100ml Jasmine Tea
1 Grapefruit juice half and slice there rest for garnish
Add Passion Fruit and Strawberry
1 table spoon of Orange Blossom
1 tea spoon of Natural Vanilla paste
Optional Splash of Soda Water
Technique - Build in a Carafe
Glass - Wine Glass
Garnish - Grapefruit, Strawberry and Thyme
How to make
Can be built directly into a glass for a single serving but a Sangria is made to share, to keep in the fridge for few days and sip and enjoy, so I recommend building this mindful cocktail into a carafe, allowing the fruit and spices to infuse for at least 20 min and not putting ice in the carafe so it doesn’t melt, but just in the glass when you serve it.
Paris Dakar Recipe
Paris Dakar, a non alcoholic sangria recipe from La Maison Wellness, inspired by Senegal and France. This recipe features accessories from La Basketry, founded by Tabara N’Diaye, a french entrepreneur creating fashion accessories handwoven by female artisans in her native Senegal.
Ingredients
1 bottle of Zéra non-alcoholic Cabernet Sauvignon
200ml Bissap (Hibiscus Tea)
60ml Organic Maple Syrup
Chopped few bits of Pineapple and an Orange
1 table spoon of Orange Blossom
1 tea spoon of Natural Vanilla paste
1 tea spoon of grounded nutmeg
1 Cinnamon Stick
Optional Splash of Soda Water
Technique - Build in a Carafe
Glass - Wine Glass
Garnish - Pineapple leaves, Orange and Thymes
How to make
Can be built directly into a glass for a single serving but a Sangria is made to share, to keep in the fridge for few days and sip and enjoy, so I recommend building this mindful cocktail into a carafe, allowing the fruit and spices to infuse for at least 20 min and not putting ice in the carafe so it doesn’t melt, but just in the glass when you serve it.
Sunny Days Recipe
A low ABV gin cocktail from La Maison Wellness, perfect for summer days.
Ingredients
25ml Chase Seville Marmalade Gin
50ml Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
10ml Willy’s Apple Cider Vinegar
10ml Honey Water
Top up with Soda water
(Option to add a splash of tonic water)
Technique - Shake or Build
Glass - Wine Glass
Garnish - Thyme & Orange Slice
How to make:
Build directly into the glass or combine all of the ingredients into your shaker, except the soda water. If shaking give a quick shake to mix the ingredients. Top up with soda water and optional tonic water (it doesn’t need it but if you’re a big fan of tonic you might like it!) and garnish with a beautiful slice of orange and some fresh thyme. Et voila it’s ready for you to enjoy!
