NO-PROOF & LOW-PROOF COCKTAILS
Not every cocktail has to pack a wallop. In fact, nonalcoholic or “no-impact” cocktails are part of a growing trend as bars cater to designated drivers, health-conscious consumers, and non-drinkers.
If you’re hosting a party, offer a few of these mocktails as alternatives to soda. Prepare a couple of herbed simple syrups (page 239) and set out some soda water and garnishes. Or, pack these drinks on picnics, take them to work for a luncheon, or serve them as sophisticated sippers for a young adult shindig or an alcohol-free mixer.
Mocktails have come a long way since the Shirley Temple—although that classic is much improved with homemade grenadine (page 244). Check out the herbaceous Juniper and Tonic (page 233) or the blackberry-studded Virgin Bramble (page 235)—both use juniper syrup in place of gin. Hankering for the taste of smoky Scotch? Explore the Burning Branch (page 237).
Best of all, these drinks are easily adjusted, depending on your taste. Play around with different herbs from your garden, vary the berries, and garnish with wild abandon. Little details, like tufts of mint or pineapple spears, help these drinks morph from simple refreshers into head-turning peacocks.
LOW-PROOF COCKTAILS
If you want drinks that pair exceptionally well with food and are easy on the liver, you’re looking for these seven low-alcohol cocktails. The Shandygaff is the lightest of the bunch, a simple combination of beer and ginger beer. You’ll also find two Champagne-based cocktails, the Aperol Spritz and the Knabenshue. Festive and effervescent, these are appealing any time of day. At parties, we always make at least one of these drinks available.
For a dark elixir that is easy to nurse all night, check out the Fancy Vermouth Cocktail—a vintage recipe that highlights the wonderful Italian vermouth, Carpano Antica. Give the Sherry Flip a try, too—it’s frothy and dramatic, with a deep purple sheen.
Chrysanthemum (page 61)
Old Hickory (page 107)
Shandygaff (page 175)
Aperol Spritz (page 209)
The Knabenshue (page 205)
Fancy Vermouth Cocktail (page 44)
Sherry Flip (page 32)