XO Brasserie The Guav-Zilla: A Tropical Green Juice Cocktail

The Guav-Zilla: A Green Juice Cocktail

Recipe: Nicole Lewarchick , XO Brasserie , Charleston

Photo: Andrew Cebulka

June 08, 2026

An easy-drinking tropical cocktail that takes Midori to new heights.

To complement the Cantonese and Szechuan flavors of Chinese restaurant XO Brasserie in Charleston, bar manager Nicole Lewarchick creates elevated but approachable cocktails inspired by Asian culture. For her Guav-Zilla, she turned to melon-flavored Midori. “I love the electric green color, and once we mixed it with guava, the combo was incredible—fresh, tropical, and easy to drink,” she says.

Ingredients

1 oz. mezcal
1/2 oz. Midori
1/2 oz. dry curaçao
1 1/2 oz. green juice
3 dashes celery bitters

Tools:shaker, strainer
Glass:rocks
Garnish:watermelon radish slice

Preparation

Rim a glass with dragon salt (a mix of 1 part dragonfruit powder and 1 part coarse salt) and set aside. Add all of the ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake to combine. Strain into the glass over fresh ice. Garnish.
Green JuiceBlend together 1 1/2 cups of guava juice; 4 celery stalks, juiced; 4 cucumbers, juiced; 4 oz. of fresh lime juice; 2 oz. of fresh pineapple juice; and a barspoon of spirulina. Will keep in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.