Category Archives: Cocktails

Some cocktails are tailor-made for mocktail form, such as this Virgin Mary or a margarita, where the strong supporting flavors can carry a drink without proper alcohol. Others, such as the martini or gin and tonic, require a formidable substitute for the gin or vodka that’s missing. To that end, a few products have come on the market to make up for the key ingredients in something like this lavender cocktail, which in previous incarnations has relied on gin as its main ingredient. 

Luckily, the lavender syrup provides the requisite flavor and mask to lift the gin-alternative (a benign peppery zero-proof gin-like concoction that has just enough edge to trick the tongue into half-believing it’s the real deal) and it’s really all about that lavender flavor anyway. 

It’s also about presentation and appearance, and a single lavender stalk to lend enchantment to a summer afternoon cocktail hour. The real gin is hardly missed at all. 

Who said that mocktails can’t be pretty and satisfying? 

Oh, it was probably me several years ago.

Fortunately, I can admit when I’m wrong, or in this case mistaken and unwilling to see other options. 

Such as this citrus spritzer – one of the simplest and most delicious drinks, perfect for a sunny summer day. There are a multitude of variations – infinite really – that can be crafted in similar fashion. Begin with some freshly-squeezed citrus (here I used orange). Add some simple syrup, made of honey or sugar boiled with water and whatever flavorful additive you’d like to try (here I used some ginger coins). Then top with club soda or a complementary seltzer – in this case I used a grapefruit sparkling water. Garnished with some orange peel, it was heaven in a few sips. 

If ginger syrup is your accent flavor, lemon and orange work wonderfully, depending on whether you want something more tart or slightly sweeter. I’ve tried a mint syrup with lime to approximate a mojito with mixed results, and a wildly successful hibiscus tea with honey and a grapefruit seltzer. Turns out there’s a hibiscus-flavored La Croix that I will try for another round, and that could very well be the signature mocktail for this tumultuous year, when it’s just me and Andy enjoying the backyard. It’s the perfect time to experiment with refreshment. 

If ever there was a time for day drinking, this certainly qualifies. This is the safest way to do it right, and you can do it when working from home and on your Zoom conference too. I’m talking about this Virgin Mary – an alcohol-free version of the classic Bloody Mary. I’ve enjoyed the usual Bloody Mary many a time, often switching out the vodka for gin, or tequila in service of a Bloody Maria. It’s a quintessential brunch treat, and its zippy tang and spicy bite stand strongly on their own without any liquor, which is why the virgin version of this drink is more popular than the virgin versions of many other drinks. 

I found a new recipe for this one – called the ‘Raw Spicy Mary’ – from the book ‘Dry: Non-alcoholic Cocktails, Cordials and Clever Concoctions’ by Clare Liardet. I will attempt to make my way through most of the recipes (like this Blood Orange Sunrise) as we turn from cocktails to mocktails.

This one calls for fresh plum tomatoes, a bit of red pepper, a celery stalk (and an additional one for garnish) some red chili, a dash of cider vinegar, the juice of half a lemon, horseradish, a splash of olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. They put the veggies through a juicer – I just jammed everything in a glass and stuck the immersion blender into the thing with a splash of water. Now is not the time to stand on ceremony. Once mixed well, I poured it over some ice and added a celery stalk or two. 

It was decent. Much fresher than any other version I’ve ever had, which was nice. A little blander too, since I wasn’t using a flavorful, high-salt/high-sodium mix or the bite of alcohol. Tips for my next attempt: switching out the lemon with lime. More horseradish. A dash of Tabasco, maybe a small spoonful of chipotle in adobo sauce for another layer of heat and earthiness. 

This is a promising start to the summer to come, and a lovely drink to toast to the workday. 

A multitude of variations on this grapefruit spritzer are in store for the spring and summer months, though I will try not to bore you with all the mocktail madness unless I can dress things up with backdrops of colorful scarves or poolside scenes. You’d be surprised at the reactions a tall glass of water gets when framed with a Speedo-clad crotch shot. Such is the delicate balance I attempt to achieve on this blog. Cocktails and cock shots. Classy as ever.

This quick concoction is a simple squeeze of a grapefruit (strained to eliminate seeds and bulky pulp), a few coins of peeled fresh ginger, and a healthy spoonful of honey diluted with a few spoonfuls of scalding hot water. Shake vigorously with ice and top with grapefruit-flavored seltzer. Garnish with a twist of grapefruit or some grapefruit mint. (The latter is not yet out in the garden, so a twist will have to suffice.)

First, I thought it would be impossible going to Savannah with my family and not drinking, but it wasn’t that difficult.

Then I thought it would be impossible to get through the holidays without drinking, but it wasn’t that difficult.

In the last few weeks I thought it would be impossible to get through all this isolation without drinking, but it wasn’t that difficult.

Today marks a full six months of not drinking alcohol, and guess what? It hasn’t been that difficult. I feel healthier, happier, and slightly more present. I’ve lost some weight, kicked up other healthy habits, and have more time and money for better pursuits. I’m not saying everyone should curb their drinking habits (it seems to be the one thing that’s getting a lot of people through this isolation/social distancing spell) it just doesn’t appeal to me as much anymore. In truth, there are actually times where I feel a genuine distaste for the stuff now, which is strange.

Not to say I don’t have moments when I think how nice it would be to sit at a bar and have a Manhattan on a cold, rainy night, or sip at a sparkling glass of something near the pool, but those desires are more about atmosphere and setting, and easily conjured with mocktails or food.

Such as in the featured photo, which was crafted on one of the first sunny and warm days we’ve had this year. It’s a simple hard squeeze – the juice of a single lime, in a tumbler of ice, topped with some grapefruit seltzer and garnished with a thin lime wheel. It was a reward for a bit of work done in the service of future bamboo plants. I sat down by the pool – still closed, but void of ice and snow – and sipped on the cool, refreshing tartness. If summer might be spent in such beautiful spirits, perhaps it won’t be so bad. 

My days of a ladies-who-lunch cocktail extravaganza are long gone – actually, they never were, since I didn’t have the resources or lifestyle to go drinking at lunch every day (one of few regrets), but these are desperate times calling for desperate measures. And so I give you this drink for the noonish hour – and it’s safe to have even if you are, like me, working from home these days.

This mocktail is something I’ve been working on for several years, and I think I finally cracked the code. Previous attempts were too tart, too sweet, too pungent, too bland – the whole Goldilocks dilemma. This time around I’m noting exactly how I did it, because it turned out beautifully.

It begins with about two generous tablespoons of honey in a small glass. To this I add about ¾ cup scalding hot water, three slices of fresh ginger (skin removed) and the juice of half a lime. Stir well. Pour over a cocktail shaker of ice and shake it like the Spice Girls. This is a simple syrup of sorts, minus all the boiling, and made healthier from the honey instead of sugar. When it’s cold, I pour enough of it to fill about a quarter of whatever cocktail glass I’m using. To this I add a favorite citrus seltzer of choice – in my case it was grapefruit seltzer. Garnish with some lime and it’s finished. (In simpler terms, the ratio is one part of the ginger-lime-honey syrup to three parts seltzer.) You could get fancier and more refined by boiling the syrup for a bit to bring out more of the ginger, but I prefer this gentler version. The days are staying lighter for longer – a more delicate touch is welcome.

Today is traditionally about the beer and the beer commercials, but for anyone looking to extend a Dry January, or just veer away from the liquor for a little/long while longer, here’s some counter programming to the gluttonous Super Bowl booziest currently going on across this great country. Welcome to the Blood Orange Sunrise – a glass of vermillion effervescence that actually won’t have you clamoring for alcohol once you’re hit with all of its layers of flavor. 

The recipe comes from Clare Liardet’s charming collection of mocktail creations, ‘Dry: Non-Alcoholic Cocktails, Cordial and Clever Concoctions.’ I’m planning on working my through most of the cocktails included, and we begin with the Blood Orange Sunrise since blood oranges are in season and we need something to light up the night with color and pizzazz.

This one works well for the holidays (as evidenced by these photos from late last year) but will also see you through the doldrums of winter, when we need light and color and excitement. The Blood Orange Sunrise contains just enough of each, and here’s how it shakes down:

• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• Juice of 1 1/2 blood oranges
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 Tbsp honey
• Sparkling water or seltzer
• Twist of blood orange peel and/or pomegranate seeds for garnish
• Ice

It’s the easiest thing to make – just combine the juices and honey with some ice in a tumbler, top with sparkling water and garnish as desired. There was a Blood Orange Sangria seltzer flavor available this holiday season, so I was using that for this one and it worked out splendidly. Don’t skip either the lime or the honey – both are integral for the magical alchemy that lends this its zip and freshness. 

May this be the beginning of more cocktail madness to come. Happy Super Bowl Sunday everybody! Let the bowling commence! 

A couple of days ago a quiet little marker passed as I realized I hadn’t had a drop of liquor in three months. This is far from the longest I’ve gone without alcohol, and at first I didn’t feel the need to make note of it at all, until I saw someone post on Twitter that they had fallen off their sobriety path.

I haven’t made any serious sobriety promise, as that is usually the kiss of death for any serious lifestyle change. I’ve chosen to not drink in an effort to live in a more healthy manner and take care of this body for as long as I may have it. Not drinking was one of the first steps in doing better for myself, and it had almost nothing to do with addiction or sobriety as it did for bettering myself. Because of that, it seemed rather a minor accomplishment. Yet as soon as I saw someone stumble in their own quest for sobriety, I felt a bit of an impulse to share this little triumph of not drinking with them. Surely if someone who has more than enjoyed his share of cocktails over the years can change, then perhaps there’s some inspiration to be found here.

I wish I could offer some insight or wisdom or simple advice on how I did it, but I’m at a loss, and that may make me the exception for those who have had trouble stopping. Mostly, I was wanting to stop for a while, it just took a bit of tough love from my husband and family and friends to help me see that now was the time. But the main impetus was my own realization that I simply didn’t feel as good when I drank as opposed to when I didn’t. And why would I do something that makes me feel bad?

Anyway, I realize it’s a lot harder for some people not to drink, so this little milestone is being marked in honor of them. I know it can be tough. I know it can feel impossible. But it can be done. And if you have to start over and over and over until you can do it, that’s ok. The stumbles and falls only matter if you can’t get back up again. If you make it to another day, you make it to another choice. I’m grateful for every chance I have at making a choice. It’s nice to be in charge.

As for the celebration of cocktails that this website once espoused, I’m still enamored by a  pretty drink, only now these are alcohol-free. For those who are looking for some good mocktails to extend a dry January, stay tuned for some recipes. Just because I’ve forsaken the booze doesn’t mean I’m going to forsake the beauty.

Quietly passing the two-month mark of not having any alcohol, I’m pleasantly surprised at how uneventful and easy such a lifestyle shift has proven to be. I’ve lost some weight, I’ve felt the heaviness of relying on such a depressant lift, and I’ve saved more than a few pretty pennies switching out the liquor for the sparkling water. Luckily, there are more than enough alternatives to keep the libation menu varied and scintillating, and I’ve been exploring all sorts of seltzers and mixers to make the holidays sparkle.

Case in point is this pomegranate rosemary sparkler, which has an easy recipe that one can modify as one sees fit. It uses a big dash of pomegranate juice (cranberry will do as well) then gets a small dash of rosemary simple syrup (one part sugar to one part water, boiled for a few minutes with a few sprigs of rosemary, then cooled) and a heavy topping of pomegranate seltzer over ice. Garnish with some pomegranates and rosemary, and you have a holiday classic that looks as festive as it tastes.

This glorious cocktail comes from the glorious cocktail bar at Nahita. They call it the Sunset Over Instanbul, and it’s a perfectly balanced drink with a garnish that embodies its name. Anytime a cocktail gets into some precious liqueur, I get nervous that it will veer into sweet or medicinal territory, but this one steered clear of that. (That extra half part of gin helps out immensely.) The original called for orange bitters, but I substituted peach bitters because it was what we had on hand, and it worked well with the stone fruit theme.  Use some sort of bitters, as they also aid in tamping down any excess sweetness, in the event that you get a lemon that wants to swerve to the sweet side instead of staying in the tart lane.

The garnish is a cherry (the sun) flanked by an orange slice (the rays) to symbolize the sunset. A word of warning: based on recent reactions from various guests, this is a powerful and potent creation. Stop at one. And even then, I won’t be responsible for whatever might transpire. Enjoy the ride into the sunset, and hang onto your hat…

Sunset Over Istanbul Cocktail by Nahita: A Variation

1 ½ parts gin

1 part apricot liqueur

¾ part fresh lemon juice (strained)

Few drops peach bitters

It hasn’t been the best year for our lavender plants. A couple of them barely survived the winter, and only one produced a decent flowering way back in June. This week there were only two stems that took part in the re-bloom, but all I needed was one to garnish the lavender martini seen here. It’s the first time I’ve made one this season, being so preoccupied with the Southern Sweet Peach Tea that took us all by storm.

This is a simple recipe, and the lavender syrup it requires can be made and kept in the fridge for several weeks – it also works quite well in a non-alcoholic lavender seltzer if you’re trying to be a little healthier. (Be sure to use culinary lavender – not the decorative kind, and certainly not something you’d find in a potpourri sachet.)

“To cure yourself, all you need is Campari and soda.” – Christopher Castellani, ‘Leading Men’

A knot of lemon twist.
A glass of ice pellets.
A sprinkling of Campari, a dash of gin, and a topping of soda water.
The simple summer Campari spritz. Leave out the gin if you must, but don’t you dare leave out the citrus. Use orange, go for grapefruit, or stick with lemon, just do not omit the sacred twist.

For the most part, I prefer Campari in a proper negroni, but in the summer I’ll do this lighter spritz in honor of the sun. The glorious bitterness of the orange-inflected liqueur matches the fizzy edge of the soda water, and its digestif properties are an added bonus. 

You won’t catch me in Saratoga until the track season is done. They got off to an earlier start this year, but we managed to sneak in a dinner at 15 Church before our little sabbatical from the August Place to Be. We also tried out Hamlet & Ghost for a pre-dinner cocktail, and I’d highly recommend it if you’re looking for a carefully-curated cocktail selection (and the careful measurements and high-cost that go with along with it). 

I love a cocktail that you can drink with your eyes beforehand, so feast upon these and stop by Hamlet & Ghost if you’re strong enough to brave the August crowds. We’ll be back in September.