Jassy Davis - Alcohol Not Included: Alcohol-free Cocktails for the Mindful Drinker

Contents

Dedicated to Francesca Burnett-Hall, whose experiments in dry drinking inspired me to get sober curious.

Thank you to Bett Norris for illustrating the recipes so beautifully, and to my editor Caitlin Doyle for kindly and patiently steering me through the process of writing this book. Thank you to Lucy Sykes-Thompson for her superb design, and to Helena Caldon, Rachel Malig, Abi Waters, Jacqui Caulton, Helen Rochester, Alan Cracknell, and Ben Murphy for helping to create our lovely book.

Contents

A lot of us are choosing our drinks from the alcohol-free section of the bar menu these days. Not necessarily because were committed, year-round dry drinkers although plenty of people are enjoying a teetotal lifestyle but because were sober curious. We want the exciting flavours, the elegance, and the glamour that modern cocktails deliver, just without the hangover.

Lucky for us, the world of soft drinks is changing. Boring lime sodas and old-fashioned Shirley Temples have been banished. In their place are a range of nolo (no- and low-alcohol) drinks that take in a global pantry of ingredients and match them with contemporary cocktail techniques.

Inspired by this zero-proof revolution, the collection of non-alcoholic cocktails, long drinks, punches, and pitcher drinks in this book will help you craft your perfect spirit-free sipper whether thats a stylish short served on the rocks or an indulgent dessert drink to round off a meal.

Theres a shopping guide (see is stocked with base recipes for heritage soft drinks, including syrups, shrubs, cordials, and switchels, thatll help you level up your spirit-free cocktails and turn them into something special.

Whether its one zero-proof drink or a whole lifestyle youre after, this book has got you covered. The sober end of the bar menu is finally fun, and these recipes will help you recreate that deliciously alcohol-free vibe at home.

Building A Bar

Crafting mixed drinks doesnt take a lot of special equipment; you can shake drinks in a jam jar or simply stir them with ice cubes in a jug with a tablespoon. But there are a few tools that will make your life easier, and some that are just fun to have. This is a short guide to the bar tools, kitchen equipment, and glassware you might want to invest in to take your zero-proof cocktails to the next level.

IN THE KITCHEN

To get started and prepare the ingredients for your drinks, you will need a few key pieces of equipment.

Blender

A solid, heavy-duty blender that can crush ice as well as blitz fruit into a pulp or whizz ice cream into a milkshake is always a good buy.

Scales

Digital scales are useful for weighing ingredients for making cordials, shrubs and syrups. If you have a very steady hand, you can put your glass or shaker on the scales and weigh out small quantities of ingredients directly into it to make individual cocktails.

Measuring jug

A measuring jug should ideally be heatproof, for when you need to steep hot teas and tisanes. It is also great for measuring liquids for large drinks for a crowd.

Mini measuring glasses

A shot glass marked with millilitres, fluid ounces, teaspoons and tablespoons is every drink-makers friend. Perfect for measuring out ingredients for single-serve drinks.

Heatproof fine-mesh sieve

This is useful for straining fruit or vegetable pulp out of prepared drinks and mixers, like the .

Muslin cloth

Line sieves with muslin cloth to finely strain out fruit and vegetable pulp. This extra layer prevents even the tiniest bit of pulp getting through, which could make the end result cloudy.

ON THE BAR

Ingredients at the ready, its time to get mixing. These are the essential items youll need to create that perfect blend.

Mixing glass and bar spoon

A heavy-based mixing glass, finely etched, looks handsome on a bar and is perfect for mixing drinks together over ice. Just half-fill with ice, add the ingredients, then use a long-stemmed bar spoon to turn the ice and liquids until everything is ice cold. Bar spoons typically have a 2.55ml (1 tsp) bowl (handy for measuring small ingredients) and a twisted stem that makes them easier to grip.

Jigger

A jigger is an hourglass-shaped measurer that has a measuring bowl on each end the standard jigger (45ml/1fl oz) and the pony (30ml/1fl oz). These are the basic measurements for all cocktail making. A jigger is not as precise as a mini measuring glass, but it is useful to have around.

Cocktail Shaker

More glam than a repurposed jam jar, there are three basic types of cocktail shaker. The cobbler shaker is the three-part metal shaker youre probably most familiar with. It breaks down into a shaking tin, a fitted lid with a strainer built in, and a cap. Its the ideal choice for beginners who dont want to buy a separate strainer. The French shaker comes in two pieces and is shaped like the cobbler, but without the integral strainer. The Boston shaker is a two-piece shaker consisting of a large shaking tin (often metal) and a smaller shaking tin (often glass and called the pint glass). This shaker is a little trickier to use because you have to make sure you create a seal between the two tins before starting to shake, and it doesnt come with a strainer. The cobbler gets my vote for shaking drinks, unless you really want to add some flair to your cocktail making with a Boston shaker.

Hawthorne strainer

This strainer features a round disc with holes punched in it and spring running around one edge. Theyre designed to be a little smaller than most standard cocktail shakers and the spring will fit snugly inside your cocktail shakers tin, providing stability when you tip the tin and pour the cocktail out. A hawthorne strainer is essential if youre using a Boston or French shaker. It will also come in useful if youre using a cobbler shaker to make cocktails with muddled fruit, as the integral strainer can get clogged with fruit pulp.

Muddler

A muddler is a long-handled tool with a flat head that is used to crush soft fruits, extract essential oils from herbs and citrus peel and crack seeds and nuts. Theyre especially handy if youre making a lot of alcohol-free Mojitos. Muddlers are made from wood, metal, and plastic. Wooden muddlers are popular with bartenders because theyre multipurpose, durable and look handsome, but they do stain easily. A metal or plastic muddler has the advantage of being easy to wash. Steel muddlers are all-rounders: great for crushing spices, extracting oils from herbs and citrus peels, and crushing fruit. If you mainly plan on bashing berries and citrus fruits for long drinks, then a plastic muddler is the one for you.

Citrus juicer

A citrus juicer saves time and mess when youre squeezing lemons, limes and oranges.

IN THE GLASS CABINET

After all that effort preparing your cocktail, serving it with a flourish is key. You want the right size and shape glass for your drinks for perfect presentation.