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Drink Skinny Margarita Mix
Christy and Steven Cegelski of Laconia created Drink Skinny Margarita Mix last year after enjoying margaritas on a trip to Mexico.

“When we tried making margaritas at home, we tried different kinds of mixes and were surprised by how much artificial coloring, sugar and calories were in them,” says Christy. After experimenting with different home-made mixes, the Cegelskis started making Drink Skinny last March; now 70 stores in New Hampshire, including select New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlets, sell Drink Skinny.

Drink Skinny is made with real fruit juices and all-natural sweeteners, including stevia. a natural plant extract, and agave nectar. Each four-ounce serving of Drink Skinny Margarita Mix contains 20 calories and 40% lime juice. Combining four ounces of Drink Skinny with a shot of tequila creates a margarita that’s only 120 calories.

Here’s the skinny on NH’s new low-cal margarita.

The true origin of the Margarita is the stuff of legend, and many lay claim to the perfect recipe-among them a NH couple who say their all-natural mix creates a cocktail that is both delicious and easy on the waistline.

Steven and Christy Cegelski of Tilton created Drink Skinny Margarita Mix earlier this year following a two-year quest for a mix that offered the same balance of sweetness and tang they experienced while on vacation in Mexico. Failing to find one, and even worse, finding most had high fructose corn syrup and a hefty calorie count, they created their own.

Drink Skinny Margarita Mix contains water, lime juice, agave nectar, and stevia, a natural herb sweetener. The mix itself is 20 calories per serving (minus the tequila) and is available in 23 specialty stores, mostly in NH. They include Board and Basket in West Lebanon, Butters Fine Food & Wine in Concord, and Hannah Grimes in Keene. Bottled in Maine, Drink Skinny Margarita Mix costs $10 a bottle and makes about six drinks at a recommended ratio of two parts mix to one part tequila.

“There is a lot of need out there for a low-calorie product that tastes good,” says Steven Cegelski, who still works at his water treatment business while his wife is full-time with their new venture. “[We said] let’s make something low-calorie, but not a chemical creation. It’s made of juice and natural ingredients.”

The recipe, which they taste-tested on very willing friends, seems to be a hit. The mix landed on store shelves in June, the company Web site launched in July, and the couple has already paid off their initial investment of under $20,000. Recent mentions on the Daily Candy Web site and outblush.com (a women’s shopping site) have boosted sales. Online sales account for about 50 orders a month. “We get e-mails all the time asking why isn’t it available in Boston, why isn’t it available in Nashua,” says Christy Cegelski. “We’ve hit a roadblock with as much as we can do selling ourselves and distributing ourselves.”

Drink Skinny will soon come out with two new flavors, Pomegranate Blueberry and Pineapple Mango, and the Cegelskis are now talking with a national distributor.

from DailyCandy.com

Don’t stop ’til you get enough.

BYTE
The Sweet Beet
What: An investigative blog for foodies with wholesome nuggets of info (dinosaur vs. red Russian kale), recipes (peas and quinoa salad), standout products (raw chocolate, goat cheese), and science.
Why: Grocery shopping these days is like playing catchphrase bingo. Learn what you’re really getting nutritionally from products like raw almonds, organic milk, and chunk-light tuna.
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PREORDER
Virginia Johnson Bedding
What: The artist and textile maker turns for home with block-print cotton quilts and duvets, crib sets, and chain-stitch decorative pillows and rugs ($78-$325).
Why: Good things come to those who wait, and the camel caravan-print rug in copper is appropriately awesome for the collection’s Oct. 7 ship date.
Where: Online at virginiajohnson.com.

SPIKE
Drink Skinny Margarita Mix
What: An all-natural concoction ($10) of lime and lemon juices, organic agave nectar, agua, and stevia that sets you back only twenty calories per serving (excluding alcohol, as it’s not a perfect world).
Why: We tested it at room temperature at 10:30 in the morning without salt (but with tequila) and found it delicious without that sickly sweet taste often found in low-cal products.
Where: Online at drink-skinny.com.

DONATE
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
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Why: Smart, good looking, and all color options (we like white with neon yellow) are smoothie, oatmeal, and margarita (see above) friendly.
Where: Online at alexbottle.com.

STEVEN AND CHRISTY Cegelski of Sanbornton set the bar high when they sipped their first Margaritas during a vacation to Mexico a few years ago. They returned to the States to find the bottled varieties didn’t match the taste, and the choice between high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners left them looking for another way.

It took just a few months of mixing for the Cegelskis to hit upon a blend of lime juice, lemon juice, stevia and agave nectar that measured in at 20 calories a serving and had their family and friends asking for another round.

This summer, the couple launched a business selling their Drink Skinny Margarita Mix. The bottles sell for $10 and contain enough mix for about six Margaritas. They can be purchased in town at Butter’s, at the Concord Co-op and Granite State Natural, and at other specialty foods stores throughout New Hampshire and beyond. Learn more at drink-skinny.com.