Jules Aron - The Low-Proof Happy Hour: Real Cocktails Without the Hangover

Fresh and flavorful low-alcohol recipes for the mindful drinker,
with heaps of artful inspiration and tips for creating your own low-proof home bar. Jules is the craft cocktail queen!

MARANDA PLEASANT, editor of
Thrive, Mantra Wellness, ORIGIN magazines

Once again, I am completely gobsmacked by the creativity of
Jules Arons cocktail recipes.... If there is anyone who can convince
me to tone down the booze in my drink, its [her].

KATE E. RICHARDS, author of Drinking with Chickens

Jules Aron takes the guessing game out of low-ABV cocktails. From bitter liqueurs to fortified wines and everything in between, she explores the romance of cocktails in an easily consumable way.

GABE F. URRUTIA, author of Miami Cocktails

Jules Aron has been a trusted educator incorporating wellness and holistic practices to beverage concepts for years, and this book is a must for both studied enthusiasts and newcomer novices.

TARA FOUGNER, founder of Thirstymag.com

Cheers to this fun and approachable guide to low-proof cocktails, highlighting delicious, fresh, and natural ingredients on every page!

NATALIE MIGLIARINI, author of Beautiful Booze

Laid out simply, elegantly, and structurally, I felt absolutely confident that I could make the recipes [Jules] prepares. But even more importantly, as a whiskey drinker, I found a good reason to enjoy low-ABV cocktails with real ingredients.... And I can have more than one.

ROBIN ROBINSON, author of The Complete Whiskey Course

Why limit yourself to club soda and bitters when you can have cocktails meticulously crafted and full of flavor? Now you have no excuse not to keep celebrations going all day, every day!

GIOVANNI GUTIERREZ, founder Chat Chow TV

Real Cocktails
Without the Hangover

JULES ARON

Copyright 2021 by Julia Aronov

Photographs by Taylor Amos copyright 2021 by Taylor Amos

All rights reserved

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to
Permissions, The Countryman Press, 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact
W. W. Norton Special Sales at specialsales@wwnorton.com or 800-233-4830

COVER DESIGN: ALLIS ON CHI

COVER PHOTOGRAPH TAYLOR AMOS

AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPH FRANCESCA | COVIELLO PHOTO

Book design by Allison Chi

Production manager: Devon Zahn

The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:

Names: Aron, Jules, author.

Title: The low-proof happy hour : real cocktails without the hangover / Jules Aron.

Description: New York, NY : The Countryman Press, a Division of W. W. Norton & Company
Independent Publishers Since 1923, [2021] |

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020037767 | ISBN 9781682685297 (pbk.) |
ISBN 9781682685303 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Cocktails. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.

Classification: LCC TX951 .A6764 2021 | DDC 641.87/4dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020037767

The Countryman Press

www.countrymanpress.com

A division of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

www.wwnorton.com

978-1-68268-529-7 (pbk.)

978-1-68268-530-3 (ebk.)

To Dylan. The Zen to my Tonic.
Drinks taste best when shared with you.

I started the website Beautiful Booze in the spring of 2013 as a resource for the cocktail enthusiast and home bartender. Since then, I have had the opportunity to travel the world in search of the best cocktails. Through these global adventures, Ive gained a much better understanding of the cocktail world.

One particularly difficult part of my life on the road, however, is finding a positive balance between maintaining a healthy lifestyle and enjoying the local culinary delights and nights out chasing the perfect cocktail. In my search for this balance, I discovered that low-ABV and non-alc options are becoming more sophisticated and readily available on bar menus around the world.

Only a couple of years ago, you would have been limited to sipping on sparkling water or sugary fruit juice if you wanted to enjoy a night out with little or no alcohol. However, the cocktail scene around the world has been growing and evolving, looking to cater to a new generation of consumers who want more low-proof options on the menu.

Why are consumers demanding these options, you may ask? It may be because this demographic wants to maintain a healthy lifestyle and still enjoy a night out socializing without the pressure to join in on heavy drinking.

A major step forward into the psyche of offering cocktails with less alcohol is modifying the terminology we use. By simply changing the term mocktail that tends to mock the drink and drinkerto alcohol-free or low proof, we can continue to elevate the status and experience of drinks of all kinds.

There may be many reasons for choosing low- or no-alcohol drinks, but having the option is always a plus. Thats why Im particularly delighted and honored to welcome the new book of my friend and colleague, Jules Aron. Always an inspiration in the way of holistic wellness and cleaner living, Jules has, once again, created a fun, informative new guide, this one dedicated to low-proof cocktails. And I, for one, am excited to celebrate with a couple of them.

Heres to a class of cocktails as diverse as the world. Cheers and happy drinking!

Natalie
Beautiful Booze

Theres a new buzz in cocktails and the proof is in the drink. Low-proof libations, also known as shims, suppressors, and sessions have been around for centuries. Countries like France, Italy, and Spain have enjoyed vermouth, sherry, and amaro cocktailslike the now ubiquitous spritzfor years. It seems the fever is finally spreading. Bartenders and patrons across the United States have been embracing low-alcohol libations with a new passion.

As a holistic nutritionist and longtime industry professional, I am right there with them. Im fascinated by the historic context of medicinal herbs and botanicals and their relation to cocktails. And I am always interested in reinventing classics with fresh, seasonal ingredients in both inventive and accessible ways.

My first book, Zen and Tonic, was all about maximizing nutrition, flavor, and balance in plant-powered drinks. Favoring superfoods and nutrient-dense fruits, berries, and botanicals and minimizing sugar content, the book emphasized the restorative and medicinal properties of plants and botanicals in the creation of delicious spirits. Since the release of Zen and Tonic in 2016, the trend toward health and wellness has continued to blossom, leading me, naturally, to low-proof cocktails.