Lemon Ginger Cayenne Shot: A Taste of Dragon’s Breath
Written by Lora Krulak
Able to fight colds and viruses, ward off hangovers, and induce a hit of energy more powerful than a double espresso, one 4-ounce lemon ginger cayenne shot is as close to the elixir of life as it gets.
This is the concoction I give to clients, friends and to myself on a regular basis, and I’ve been both praised–and cursed–for it.
An avid juicer for most of my adult life, I got into elixirs and shots about seven years ago completely by accident. I had extra lemon and ginger juice after preparing several juices for a client, and it seemed logical to see what I could do with it.
Since wheatgrass is served as a shot, it made sense that this could be too. The potent and pure lemon ginger cayenne mixture burned going down, but the rush of energy it gave me was exhilarating. I was hooked.
New York is the perfect place to uncover hidden gems, and Organic Avenue was one of them. I stumbled on this oasis of all things raw and organic around the same time as my elixir habit began.
A new juice-bar friend had told me about it but warned me it wouldn’t be an easy find, and I admit I felt like I was searching for contraband and not organic food.
Then located in a nondescript part of Chinatown–up a staircase, behind a heavy door and down a long corridor–the only thing missing was the secret knock.
Denise, its founder and owner, was ahead of her time. She was a girl with a vision, of bringing the world of raw and organic into the mainstream.
Flash forward seven years and though Organic Avenue is gone, you can now find organic fresh and bottled juice shops all across America. However, I still have a soft spot for Organic Avenue’s elixirs, or booster shots, as they call them.
The booster shots serve a completely different function from a veggie juice. I think of veggie juice as liquid sunshine, as it’s filled with chlorophyll, enzymes, and essential nutrients the body thrives on.
An elixir or booster shot is a quick compressed version of this, and sometimes is green and sometimes not.
It floods the body with a swift injection of whatever’s in the shot–wheatgrass, chlorophyll, or my recent discovery, the Guaranimal: a potent blend of guarana (an herbal form of caffeine) and cacao. Both of these can burn fat, and the combination packs an energetic punch.
I recently returned from France with horrid jet lag and honestly think it was the integration of Guaranimal and green juice that had me feeling energetic and focused again in just two days. Brilliant!
But my favorite booster shot has to be the tried-and-true Dragon’s Breath, a lemon ginger cayenne combination.
The body is cleansed by the ginger-lemon combo, and the cayenne pepper serves to speed the metabolism and to stimulate peristalsis. It also warms the body, providing heat. You will definitely feel it.
Make a DIY version with the following recipe inspired by the Dragon’s Breath.
Lemon Ginger Cayenne Shot: The Dragon's Breath
The Dragon's Breath Shot is a lemon ginger cayenne elixir that gives you a burst of energy and warmth. Make it yourself at home!
Ingredients
- 2 lemons, washed well and sliced in half
- 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, washed well
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Run the lemons and ginger through a juicer. Strain the juice through a sieve or mesh strainer.
- You can also juice the lemon by hand and grate the ginger with a Microplane or ginger grater into a mesh strainer, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Stir the lemon juice into the ginger juice.
- Stir the cayenne pepper into the juice and drink as a shot. Breathe and feel the effects. Breathe again.
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Wow, that’s sounds powerful. Not sure if I couds do it.
The 1/4 teaspoon of pepper has me concerned but the other ingredients are flavors I crave. Will stick to the recipe and see if I survive!
If the pepper’s too much, you can also temper the heat by mixing the shot with a spoonful of raw honey and seltzer water (that’s how I’ve been drinking it lately). It won’t be as potent but it’s still really tasty.
Sounds…intriguing. One for a day when I’m feeling brave.
I mix a little lemon juice with water and drink that as a shot as kidney stone prevention, but this sounds pretty strong!
Wow, that sounds amazing. Like a shot of absolute energy and vitality. Will try it!
My mouth is burning just reading about this. I think I’m too chicken to try it. Or maybe too wired already.
I love lemon and ginger so I’d totally get into that: both healthy and flavorful. But the cayenne would be a bit much for me.
This sounds fascinating. And it really works?
Sounds great. I cannot wait to try it!
xoxo LORA :-) Organic Avenue and NYC misses you!
p.s.
Organic Avenue opens its 6th location this past week!!
461 Amsterdam, Upper West Side //NYC
Congrats, Denise! I’ve updated the post to reflect the full scope of Organic Avenue outposts.
think this wouldn’t be for me — I get all the energy I need and no extra buzz from a strong cup of Irish tea. I’ll save the cayenne for my pasta dishes! interesting idea and flavors for those who’d like to do this, though.
I just had a Dragon’s Breath this weekend upon this recommendation. Loved it! Thanks for the recipe too.
Dragon breath sounds absolutely wicked! I really want to try the other elixirs though. Wish we had Organic Avenue in my town!
I like the idea of the Guaranimal; not sure my sinuses could take the cayenne, though.
I could see trying this (but maybe without the cayenne, or with a little less of it). So natural, which I really love.
That ginger, lemon and cayenne shot looks like just what the doctor ordered! I also vote for a S. Florida location! :-)
Any advice on buying a juicer?
Re: juicers, I use the fairly affordable Breville Compact Juice Fountain ($99.95 + free shipping through the GFS Amazon link!). Breville’s a great company – I own a lot of their products – and the juicer cleans up easily.
I love organic avenue my favorite shot is the guaranjmal, but when I travel I like to make it on my own, do you havea recipe for it?
Great article! Keep in mind that the Dragons breath from Organic Avenue also contains purified alkaline water and coconut sugar to help take off the sharp edge.