delicious pomegranate cocktail, shallow dof (iStock)
Immortality has been the dream of human kind for eons.
Now researchers in Pittsburgh say they may have found the key to the Fountain of Youth by taking stem cells using them to dramatically slow the aging process (in mice–sorry folks), and in some cases tripling their life span.
Now that scientists are on track to beat the passage of time with a stem cell cocktail, octogenarian spring break is sure to catch on any time now.
But for those who can’t wait, there have long been other types of cocktails –more of the traditional alcoholic variety– that claim to contain the elixir of eternal youth. They come in a wide array: A beer with a few added herbs or red wine; exotic superfruits that purport to drive the poisons from your body and add a healthy youthful glow.
Granted, overindulging in any of these boozy elixirs will generally makes drinkers feel a whole lot older the next day. And as with many things, moderation is key. But who can say that the youthful feeling from a drink or two isn’t the work turning back the hands of time?
Here are a few purported Fountain of Youth drinks worth checking out.
The Vino and Vigor
It’s generally accepted that red wine, in moderation, seems to be good for you. If nothing else, it works for the French, anyway. But a simple glass of red wine to ward off what ails you can get more than a little dull night after night. So why not mix your medicine into something a bit more intriguing that adds in some additional anti-aging ammo?
Here is a recipe for a red wine cocktail that mixes Calvados apple brandy –already proven to aid in digestion.
Click here for a red wine cocktail recipe.
Neuzeller Original Badebier
According to Homer Simpson, alcohol is the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems. And since Homer’s drink of choice is beer, it’s only natural we look to see if beer can perhaps cure one of life’s biggest problems – getting old.
Badebier beer, also known as Bathbeer in English, is made by Klosterbraueri Neuzelle in Neuzelle, Germany. The brewers don’t purport to solve the aging problem, but it does claim to slow things to something approximating a crawl, or at least a sedate saunter.
Badebier contains a proprietary mixture of herbs, minerals and a specific type of algae, called spirulina, more often found in smoothies than alcoholic beverages.
Oddly, according to the brewers, you can not only drink the beer to experience the benefits of this malty miracle, you can also apply it straight to your skin to regain that youthful glow, though many would consider bathing in beer to be a waste of perfectly good booze.
Regardless, the beer itself is something of an odd duck. Dark and chocolatey, the bottle exhibits a nice bready flavor and isn’t nearly as hefty as the color would lead a drinker to believe. It’s a little on the watery side, with more sweetness than one might expect and just a hint of funk – likely from the algae. There are certainly worse ways to roll back the clock on your body.
The Fountain of Superfruits
Any number of fruits have gone in and out of vogue as the answer to all our antioxidant-fueled prayers. Acai, blueberries, pomegranate – they’ve all had their time in the sun, and people across the globe have happily dropped them into blenders in the hopes of unleashing their raw power in smoothie form. And while smoothies are tasty, liquor is far more likely to put a spring in our step. At least temporarily.
Click here for a superfruit cocktail recipe.
The Fires of Youth
Supposedly spice can turn back time, or at least hold it at bay with a flamethrower. But downing cayenne by the bucket seems like it’d be a painful way of restoring a youthful glow. So instead, dulling the fires with a bit of booze seems like an appropriate way of getting a daily dose of capsaicin.
