Creative and complex non-alcoholic drinks have been part of fine dining in recent years, with pairings accompanying tasting menus everywhere from Eleven Madison Park in NYC to the Wine Country institution SingleThread. What makes a great zero-proof cocktail that pairs well with a chef’s nuanced creation? We asked three beverage directors from the US’s leading restaurants for insight—and a recipe.
“Developing non-alcoholic cocktails typically takes more time than it does for alcoholic ones. Instead of starting with a base spirit or liqueur and layering house-made ingredients, you're starting with raw materials then working to build more flavor with other botanicals or ingredients,” says Hutchins, Bar Director and Head Distiller at San Francisco’s Aphotic.
“The final course of the Aphotic tasting menu is our soy milk crème caramel with huckleberry; we pair this with our take on a Korean rice punch or sikhye. The process and ingredients take inspiration from both traditional Korean sikhye and Mexican horchata. It's sweet and toasty, and the maple syrup plays wonderfully with the huckleberries in the dessert. The rice punch is poured over ice, then garnished with a bright lime leaf-infused oil and 25-year-aged balsamic vinegar from Modena which bring in freshness and hits of acidity while you enjoy the cocktail.”
Ingredients
3.5 oz/100g jasmine rice
200ml coconut water
1.8 oz/50g pine nuts
0.9 oz/25g hibiscus
0.1 oz/3g cinnamon
4:1 yield of rice to golden maple syrup grade A
Method
1. Toast rice at 350°F/175°C for 10 minutes. Toss rice then toast for another 10 minutes. With 5 minutes remaining, add pine nuts.
2. Vacuum seal bag toasted rice, coconut water, pine nuts, hibiscus, and cinnamon.
3. Sous-vide at 180°F/82°C for 2 hours.
4. Cool bag in an ice bath then strain the liquid from the solids.
5. Add maple syrup (4:1 rice water to maple syrup) and serve.
Alternative steps 2-4:
1. Add ingredients to a large saucepan and bring the contents to a boil.
2. Cover the top with plastic wrap and reduce to a low simmer for 1.5 hours. (The goal of the plastic wrap is to prevent volume loss from evaporation.)
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature then strain.
The Empress and the Pea from Steve Martin, Figure Eight
“At Figure Eight we have a cocktail that we developed using the leftover pea pods from our sister restaurant, Silver Apricot. When we thought about the spring menu, fresh snap peas just made sense. With peas on the menu at the restaurant next door I asked if I could have the leftover pea pod shells to juice for a cocktail and they let me have it. So now we collect pea pod juice from both restaurants and use oleo-saccharum, which is made from the leftovers of citruses and other produce we have, to make a drink that is made entirely from recycled products and with a spirit that also uses a blend of herbs and peas, Seedlip Garden 108,” says Martin, the New York City restaurant’s Head Bartender.
"This drink pairs well with most of our fatty fish and red meat dishes such as our pork ribs, hot fried skate, and grits.”
Ingredients
3/4 oz/22.5ml lemon juice
3/4 oz/22.5ml oleo
1 oz/30ml pea pod juice
3 drops saline solution
2 oz/60ml Seedlip Garden 108
Method
1. Add the snap pea juice, oleo, lemon juice, and Seedlip Garden 108 into a cocktail shaker.
2. Use a dropper to add the saline solution.
3. Fill the shaker with cubed ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
4. Double strain into a coupe using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer. Garnish with whatever is near you. I like to use a fried lotus root chip.
To make the snap pea juice
Put the snap pea pod shells through the juicer, then strain through a fine mesh strainer. You can add a little bit of water to help with the juicing process if needed.
To make the oleo
Mix equal parts sugar and citrus peels (we use orange, lemon, and lime) and gently muddle them together. Let the mixture sit for 24-48 hours until the sugar has dissolved, and then strain through a fine mesh strainer.
To make the saline solution
Mix equal parts salt and water until dissolved.
The January Spritz from Jarett Karlsberg, Wythe Hotel
“The January Spritz is a wonderful way to start a meal, as it is in the style of an Italian aperitivo cocktail and meant to start digestion and awaken the palate. It has Giffard Aperitif Syrup, some white verjus for acidity, and elderflower tonic that lifts the drink. It would go really well with any of the fruit de mer at Le Crocodile, especially the shrimp cocktail,” says Karlsberg, Beverage Director at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, home to Le Crocodile.
Ingredients
1 dash citric acid solution
1 oz/30ml Giffard Aperitif Syrup
0.5 oz/15ml Wolffer Estate White Verjus
1 oz/30ml Fever Tree Club Soda
1 oz/30ml Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic Water
Method
1. Combine 1 dash citric acid solution (0.4 oz/10g citric acid to 3.5 oz/100g water), 1 oz/30 ml Giffard Aperitif Syrup, and 0.5 oz/15ml Wolffer Estate White Verjus in a wine glass.
2. Fill the glass with ice, top with equal amounts of club soda and tonic water.
3. Stir to integrate, and garnish with a grapefruit twist and a skewered olive.
