Fresh Fruit Chasers

Going beyond beer and the pickleback

Chasers have traditionally fallen into two not-so-exciting categories: beer and the hot-in-2011 pickleback.

We knew there had to be a way to make chasers lighter, brighter and more interesting, so we asked our food editor, Andy Baraghani, to develop a few fresh-pressed shot chasers for spring. (Yes, even quick fire boozing can be moderately classy.)

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"With tequila, lime and salt just don't do the trick," Baraghani says. Instead, he throws some fresh pineapple, jalapeño and cilantro into the juicer and comes up with a vibrant green elixir that packs a flash of heat and a bright herbal punch (see the recipe).


For bourbon, Baraghani juiced ginger and apple (see the recipe); the ultra-concentrated juice mellows bourbon's natural sweetness. And for that most adaptable (i.e., blandest) of liquors, vodka, we tried a combination of strawberry, Meyer lemon and salt (see the recipe). It rinses out the palate with a surprising salty kick.

Each chaser could, in theory, be mixed with its respective liquor to yield a pretty stellar cocktail, but as shot chasers they created something unexpected: a heady smack of booze and a surprisingly long–and dangerously delicious–fruity finish.

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Word to the wise, however: Depending on how many shots you take, you may want to save some juice for the morning after.

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