Cocktails Go Paleolithic

Summer’s not over yet. Ok, fine, it is. But that doesn’t mean the summer sips have to stop. Right on time and right in keeping with the foodie trend du jour, Just BE Kitchen (JBK) released their paleo-friendly cocktail menu. It’s a bit of a drive from BoCo, right in the heart of Denver, but it’s a perfect post-paleo dinner spot for the intrepid.

“With a mission to serve mindful mouthfuls from a conscious kitchen with kindness on a plate, Just BE Kitchen has succeeded in its goal of being more than just a place to grab some grub. Since their opening this Spring, they have attracted an underserved Denver [and soon to be BoCo, we’re thinking] dining population—those with dietary restrictions of any sort,” JBK says.

Given our love affair with Blooming Beets’ paleo menu, we were instantly on board with the idea.

Just BE Kitchen’s new “‘Just BE Merry” cocktail menu is carefully crafted and includes grain-free tequila, vodka and gin, which means even the gluten-intolerant or extra healthy folks among are able to enjoy these drinks.

The menu is a paleo-paradise, featuring “all of the staples without the added sugar: including New Planet Grain-Free Beer; Ceroc Vodka cocktails like the PALEO Boat Drink and the Mary Mary (bloody); a variety of refreshing Margaritas; a Kombucha Mimosa and more.” We visited this past week to sample the offerings and were not disappointed. My diet skews towards the unhealthy, so I wasn’t expecting to love the drinks, which made it all the more refreshing of an experience.

First up was the tequila-based Paloma: tequila blanco (which is exactly how you want to start a brunch time tasting) with lime juice, grapefruit juice and grapefruit soda.

From the tequila we moved on to gin. It took three minutes to appreciate fully all the various flavors in the Gilligan’s Isle. While we’re not currently shipwrecked, we were definitely stranded in writer’s block for a second after sipping JBK’s gin, ginger, lime juice, & soda signature drinks. We suggest cruising in for a few before the last of the warm days have passed.

Speaking of islands, the next drink also had a tropical theme. The PALEO Boat Drink is the cockatoo of cocktails, with coconut cream, vodka, lime juice, agave, and an ample pineapple topping (which helped stave off the impending buzz). Delicious.

After this, we switched to whiskey, because there is no such thing as mixing too many drinks when you’re doing it for the story. And, whiskey man that I am, this one was my favorite: bourbon, bitters, orange juice, agave and lime soda. A modern paleo manhattan. A new fashioned, if you will. Now that we’re switching to full on winter mode, this is a good transition drink for those who want a hint of the warmth.

Intrepid daytime drinkers though we may be, we didn’t get through the entire paleo cocktail menu (Round 2, perhaps, JBK?). Drinks we didn’t try, but will be back for, include gluten-free beer (New Planet Blonde and New Planet IPA) and several wines (the Pinot Noir, Red Blend and Sauvignon Blanc, among others). Other cocktails we missed out on include the Skinny Marg (tequila blanco, lime juice, lime soda), the Mary Mary (vodka, real dill mary mix, with caraway garlic dills), and the G&T: (gin, sugarless tonic, lime).

Stop in soon to get your paleolithic buzz on.

Photo: Jim Burrus.