Ever since virgin cocktails became trendy for people who haven’t even been to rehab, they’ve been popping up all over the show.

Maybe it’s midweek, and you’re trying to hold it together for a few days until the weekend rolls around, or maybe you just like the fact that you can neck them down without fear of a thumping headache the next day.

Whatever your reasoning, get ready to hear people asking to see the virgin cocktail menu at restaurants and bars around South Africa this summer.

On our side, we’re indulging in the pleasures of Sir Fruit, who are on the top of the food chain when it comes to their game.

Sir Fruit’s cold-pressed juices don’t use emulsifiers, modified starch, colourants or acacia gum to bind juice. You can tell, because their juices actually separate in the fridge, which shows that they’re packed with the good stuff.

Sir Fruit’s virgin cocktail recipes are something to behold (their cranberry apple rooibos ice tea is a personal favourite), but it’s only now that we’ve discovered the wonders of fruit juice braai marinade!

I know, right!? So much time has been wasted not knowing this – will we ever be able to make it back?

Do yourself a flavour (see what I did there?) and try this recipe – it’s seriously mental.

Presenting the Bad-To-The-Bone BBQ Guava Ribs:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Racks of pork ribs
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil
• For the marinade
• 1 red chili (deseeded & chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (peeled and minced)
• 2 tsp of grated ginger
• 100ml soy sauce
• 100g brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup of Sir Fruit Guava Juice
• 3 tsp of tomato sauce

WHAT TO DO

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Drizzle olive oil over the ribs and season to taste with salt and pepper
3. Mix all your marinade ingredients into a saucepan and place over a medium heat.
4. Stir marinade until the sugar dissolves and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Place ribs in a large roasting pan and brush well with marinade before covering with foil and placing in the oven.
6. Baste ribs with marinade every 20 – 30 minutes.
7. After 1 hour of cooking time remove foil.
8. Cook for another 30 minutes until the meat is so tender it pulls away from the bone.
9. Finish off the ribs under a grill or on the braai until fat is crispy (be careful not to dry it out).

But wait – don’t stop there. Smart folk actually use the marinade as a BBQ sauce in accompaniment to the ribs. All you gotta do is heat it up and you’re good to go!

Oh, and serve with fresh rocket leaves. Look at you – the perfect summer host. Braais at your place now.

There’s a reason you’re using Sir Fruit and not some other juice, too. Their fruit juices are made using real whole fruits and contain no artificial flavourants, colourants, or oddities.

You know, like fruit juice is supposed to be made.

Their range of ice teas boasts one of the lowest sugar levels on the market, thanks to their traditional brewing process, using only freshly sourced tea leaves and flavours.

When it comes to their cold-pressed juices (it’s OK if you don’t know what that means, we have you covered), you’ve got a wide range of options to choose from and yes, they’re pure goodness.

It’s a floating raspberry – what’s not to love?

The bottom line is that you should be putting more good stuff into your body this summer. You can start with those ribs, and then keep up the good work with the range of fruit juices, cocktails, smoothies and iced teas that taste great and pack you full of health.

Congrats, you’re a better person now, inside and out.