Mixing Holiday Cheer and Healthy Cocktails

For the third year in a row, Dr. Manny Alvarez and Chris Kilham celebrated the holidays by seeking out festive, yet healthy cocktails.

The pair headed to Chinatown in New York City to Apotheke, where the mixologists make their own herbal infusions and special botanical concoctions.

Dr. Nicolas O’Connor, a certified mixologist, was on hand to speak with Alvarez, senior managing health editor of FoxNews.com, and Kilham, The Medicine Hunter.

O’Connor, the head mixologist, said the bar’s name is a take on the German word ‘apothecary.’ All of his mixologists wear pharmacy coats.

Alvarez started out by asking O’Connor if these drinks would get him in the holiday spirit.

“Well, that’s the point of the cocktail,” O’Connor said, referring to the Snidely Whiplash, which is scotch infused with saw palmetto and red clover, sour mix, apple cider and pasteurized egg whites.

Kilham said that saw palmetto is good for controlling the size of a man’s prostate.

And while Alvarez thought the drink looked a little ‘girly,’ he said the drink was delicious.

Next up, the pair tried O’Connor’s Bees Knees, which actually contains bee pollen.

“Bee pollen enhances energy and immunity, and in fact, athletes use it to improve performance because it’s so energizing and strengthening.” - Chris Kilham, Medicine Hunter

Bees Knees also contains goji berry extract, which Kilham said is considered a life extender in Chinese medicine. Other ingredients in the drink include guava juice, sour mix and vodka.

After tasting it, Alvarez said Bees Knees was “smooth.”

“Kind of like a morning smoothie, with a back bite,” Kilham agreed.

For the third euphoric enhancer, O’Connor made what he calls a Deal Closer, which is infused with horny goat weed.

“The legend of the horny goat weed is that there was a legendary goat called Yin Yang, who had sex 100 times a day, and it lived entirely on this herb – horny goat weed. It’s a big Chinese aphrodisiac – it gets the mojo going.” - Chris Kilham

O’Connor said the drink contains fresh slices of cucumber and some mint, vodka, goat weed tea, sour mix and vanilla-infused cognac.

“This is the best drink I’ve ever had,” Alvarez concluded.

Go to Apotheke's website to learn more. http://apothekenyc.com/