During this Dry January, when booze is no longer the standard liquid accompaniment to fancy dinners or weekend brunches, an arsenal of mocktails makes for a decent substitute for what so many of us love. A good restaurant will offer these, and my favorites always have some on hand. Still, when one is hankering for an accessory at cocktail hour and you’re not at a restaurant, it is helpful to have some easy options at easy disposal.
One of the best tricks to spruce up something simple like club soda or seltzer (in case any of the numerous flavored seltzers won’t suffice) is to add some freshly-squeezed citrus of your favorite variety. Don’t limit yourself to lemons or oranges either – branch out into grapefruit, clementines, or blood oranges. Each offers it own subtle shading to a drink, and don’t forget to get a decent outer layer of peel for garnish. Mocktails and cocktails alike need something to dress them up, and when leaving out the liquor in the former it’s important to bone up on the other attributes. When dealing with freshly-squeeze citrus, I’d also strongly suggest that you strain it before it goes into the final glass. I don’t mind a little fresh pulp in my drinks, so I won’t usually bother, but it makes a big difference if you’re looking for something more refined.
The second thing I like to use is a flavored simple syrup. Simple syrups are usually a mix of two parts sugar to one part water, then heated to the point of boiling and cooled when all the sugar is dissolved. Just about anything can be added to flavor these syrups – I’ve used lavender, fresh ginger (peeled), star anise, cloves, and various citrus peels. A few spoonfuls into a glass of seltzer is a much healthier option than soda, and you can control exactly how much sweetness you’re going to get.
Finally, while I’m not the biggest fan of muddled anything, most people love a mojito, and they seem to love mashing stuff into their drinks, so for those folks I suggest selecting a fruit juice or a flavored water of some sort, and combining it with something to be muddled or mashed, or simply bruised and brushed: watermelon goes wonderfully with basil, mint goes refreshingly well with lime, and shiso leaves work magically with peach. If you’re fans of herbs, try some rosemary or lemon verbena or kaffir lime leaves – all lend themselves to a light muddle or a simple garnish to delight the nose. Thyme and dill can be used too if you’re looking for something on the savory side. The possibilities are endless.
