Soley is a wonderfully delicious alcoholic drink with origins in Belgium! It’s (obviously) sold here in Austin, Texas as well and I have to say – it’s pretty tasty. If you’re hosting holiday parties this winter, read on! I’ve got some SIMPLE ideas for how to make drinks that will impress all the guests (especially those already trying to cut calories!). Soley is made in small batches from pressed fruit. That means no artificial preservatives, no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, no high fructose corn syrup and it’s gluten-free. Currently, there are three flavors – Soley Coco (a blend of coconut milk and pulp), Soley Mango Passion (mango and passion fruit) and Soley SuperFruit (pomegranate and blueberry).
What’s equally as impressive is the story behind its creation. Chris Hofbauer, the founder of Soley Beverage, had a VISION for this product. His co-founder and his wife ran a “smoothie bar for adults” in Belgium. Using seasonally available fresh fruit, hand-squeezed in their kitchen, they were producing an artisanal low-alcohol “juicing with a kick” drink that was sold by the glass in their bar.
Chris wanted to take this idea and manufacture and sell the drink by the bottle. This lead to a whole team of food scientists developing a manufacturing method that would extend the shelf-life to two years without the addition of artificial preservatives, artificial colorants, artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup or any of the other stuff you commonly find in processed food products. This was NOT an easy task. It took three years of research and development to get a stable result. Even the frosted glass of the bottles plays a role in preserving the juice inside.
Of all the places in the US, Chris brought Soley to Austin because, as he describes it, “Austin is a cutting edge foodie heaven, with a strong culture around healthy living, mindful drinking, better-for-you food & beverage products, with a significant influence on what’s going on in the rest of the nation.”
And now, I’m bringing Soley to YOU!
Thank you, Soley, for sponsoring this post.
Today, I’m working with the Soley Coco because I feel like it is the perfect mix for holiday drinks! It’s an all-natural blend of the whole coconut – both milk and pulp – and is 12% alcohol/volume. It’s a great substitute for dairy-based cocktails.
In Belgium, Soley would be sipped as is, over ice. No fancy mixing needed! To “holiday” it up, sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of Soley Coco. Super simple, super good.
Eggnog is a popular holiday drink. It’s also super packed with dairy and calories. Soley Coco makes an excellent low-calorie, non-dairy eggnog replacement. Add some cinnamon, nutmeg, whipped cream, maybe even a little rum for an extra alcoholic boost… boom. Delicious.
I’m a huge chocolate fan, so I like the idea of an adult chocolate milk or hot chocolate. If you put a little bit of chocolate syrup and Soley Coco in a shaker and shake, you get delicious adult coco chocolate milk. You can also use a hot chocolate mix with the Soley Coco. Don’t forget marshmallows!
Every hipster in Austin is drinking bourbon these days, am I right? I’m not mad – whiskey is my drink of choice! My personal favorite drink to make with Soley Coco is to mix in some bourbon, maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
For the finale, let’s get CRAZY. What if we used Soley Coco as a topping and drizzled it over ICE CREAM, creating a delicious boozy dessert. I’m not gonna lie – I ate this after I photographed it. It’s delicious and so simple!
I hope I’ve given you a little bit of holiday drink inspiration! There’s always good drink ideas on the @DrinkSoley Instagram as well. Like I said, all of these are super easy to make and serve – Soley Coco does all the work. If you’re interested in purchasing Soley, you can find it at Spec’s, Total Wine, and a few other locations. Use their Store Locator to find one close to you.
What do you have planned for the holidays? Are you hosting? Attending parties? Both?? Whatever you end up doing, I hope you have a WONDERFUL holiday season! Cheers!
