A Few More Notes

On Mouthfeel

Mouthfeel means exactly what you think it does: It is the physical sensation(s) of a particular food or, in this case, drink, in your mouth. In short, mouthfeel is texture—creamy, bubbly, et cetera—and it’s part of the overall taste experience.

Body belongs under the mouthfeel umbrella, but it has more to do with weight than texture. If something is full-bodied, it feels round, heavy, perhaps viscous. The complaint I hear most often about nonalcoholic mixed drinks is that they lack body, or they’re “thin.” (It’s worth knowing that many distillers’ dirty little secret is that they add glycerin to their spirits for better body.) There are ways around this: (1) Some ingredients, such as eggs, whey, and cream, are naturally weighty. (2) Sugar gives body to a drink, so much so that manufacturers of sugar-free beverages painstakingly play with hydrocolloids such as pectin, carrageenan, cellulose, and xanthan and gellan gums to reach the same effect. (3) Temperature affects viscosity. When a liquid is cold, it feels heavier on the palate.

All of that said, maybe we’re doing these drinks a disservice by comparing them to cocktails. These don’t have alcohol in them, and ethanol behaves in a particular way, so they’re going to be different. And that’s okay!

On Straws

Avoid plastic if you can. Buluh brand straws are made from bamboo, Aardvark makes paper straws that actually hold together, and Greens Steel metal straws are a good option, too.

On Inspiration

Once you’ve made some recipes from this book and start playing around on your own, here’s how I want you to think about making good drinks: What are you trying to deliver? A flavor? A texture? A mood? A journey? Start there, then experiment and see what suits your tastes. And, speaking of that: Trust your own tastes!