Alcohol-Free Cocktails from the Best Bartenders in the West
Tasty non-tipples for dry January and beyond.
Alex Lau
Reprinted with permission from Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You’re Not Drinking for Whatever Reason by Julia Bainbridge, © 2020. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Shirley Temple might’ve been a star, but she sure didn’t make a very good faux cocktail. “Until recently, alcohol-free cocktails have been treated as afterthoughts,” says Julia Bainbridge, author of the new book Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You’re Not Drinking for Whatever Reason. “A higher level of effort and care anoints them as proper drinks.”
Bainbridge spent the better part of a year driving across the country, cataloging and chronicling a welcome trend that’s emerged in recent years: talented bartenders applying their exacting methods to the creation of alcohol-free drinks that stand on their own as delicious and inspiring cocktails that aren’t just “virgin” versions of classic drinks. “People don’t drink for all kinds of reasons,” says Bainbridge. “Religion, health issues, substance-use disorders, pregnancy, mindful living. Maybe alcohol simply doesn’t fit into their lives anymore. Maybe they’re just not drinking this week. Or this night. Or this round. (And by the way, the why just doesn’t need to be part of the conversation!) This book is for all of them—and, really, anyone interested in having a culinary experience.”
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While this is a global revolution, here we’ve selected a few exceptional recipes from the book that Bainbridge gathered from talented bartenders in the West who’ve applied their mixological know-how to drinks that satisfy and delight, albeit without the booze.
Nectar of the Gods
Author Julia Bainbridge says of this cocktail by Denver bartender Minetta Gould: “Brine and soda is a funkier, saltier, but equally simple alternative to syrup and soda. With this recipe, Minetta Gould kicks brine and soda up a notch, adding citrus juice to the mix and using brine from jarred Sweety Drops, Peppadews, or sweet cherry peppers. Bread-and-butter pickles could work, too, but I recommend reducing or omitting the simple syrup if you go the latter route.”
Yu the Great
Julia says: “Former [Portland restaurant Departure’s] beverage director Samantha Azarow leaned on coconut milk in order to keep Departure’s menu dairy-free, and it works to marry two seemingly incompatible ingredients in this drink: basil and matcha. I tested the recipe with Italian basil, out of curiosity, and it didn’t work. You really want Thai basil, which is less sweet, more herbal and licorice-like—spicy, even. It’s grown domestically these days, and if it’s not at your local supermarket, you can find it at Southeast Asian stores or order it online at importfood.com. Find matcha powder at most major grocery stores or at kettl.co. And feel free to bump up the lime juice to one ounce if you want more acidity.”
Get Well Soon
Julia rememberers: “Jim Meehan was my first-ever boss out of college. He is a legend in the bartending world, and I had the privilege of being his assistant on Food & Wine‘s 2007 cocktail guide, a book of drink recipes the magazine used to publish annually. He’s remained a supporter and a friend ever since, and now here I am, writing my own book, to which he so graciously contributed. Jim’s drink is a toddy inspired by the Master Cleanse (!), and he calls it ‘a post snow-shoveling cocktail.’ If the flavor is too concentrated for you, simply add another ounce or two of hot water.”
Essential Cocktail Tools
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Barfly Shaker Cocktail Tin
You might’ve noticed the better bartenders out there are all working “tin on tin” (barspeak for using two metal shakers). There’s no risk of breakage, separating shakers is a snap, plus they stack and store tidily. At 19 bucks for a set how can you not upgrade?
Japanese-Style Jigger
Sure you could use a measuring pitcher or shot glass, but make a show of it with this copper Japanese jigger.
Mixing Glass
Once a rarity, now standard issue for modern bartenders, this Japanese-inspired mixing glass is ideal for stirring up aromatic cocktails like Manhattans and Martinis.
Luminarc Barcraft Coupe Cocktail
At 5.5 ounces the coupe is just the right size for having two cocktails without going overboard.
Rock-Style Old Fashioned Whiskey Glasses
Water glass by day, Boulevardier vessel by night, a set of lowballs will set you right.
