If you enjoyed yourself a little bit too much during the holidays, January is a time for taking it easy. Maybe you ate more than you planned and had a few too many cocktails. Like many people, you may have sworn off alcohol for a month or just don’t want to drink as much this year. If this is the case, then the “mocktail” is for you.
A mocktail, as you likely guessed, is a cocktail without any alcohol. Bartenders know that sometime you need a break from booze too. These are some of the best. With flavors like turmeric, rosemary, cucumber and mango – these mixed drinks are light on the booze without being light on flavor.
Salted Rosemary Paloma
Created by Naren Young for Dante
Ingredients
2 oz. grapefruit juice
½ oz. salted rosemary syrup*
Top with Perrier
Directions: Salt the rime of a highball glass with lime and salt. Add ice and build the cocktail in the glass. Stir, garnish with a grapefruit slice.
*Salted Rosemary Syrup
70 oz. water
30 oz. sugar
3 rosemary sprigs
3.5 oz. Maldon sea salt
Directions: Bring to a low boil. Turn off immediately and allow to cool. Strain and store in the fridge. Lasts 2 months.
Eastside
Created by John McCarthy for Greydon House, Nantucket
Ingredients
1 oz. cucumber
1 oz. lime
Sparkling water
Directions: Combine all ingredients over ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a cucumber slice and mint sprig.
Mangu Chao
Available at Chao Chao
Ingredients
3 oz. mango kaffir shrub*
Top club soda
Directions: Salt the rim of a highball glass. Add ice cubes and combine the shrub and club soda. Garnish with a lime wheel.
*Mango kaffir shrub
2 cups mango
1 cup Kaffir lime leaves
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup mirin
1 1/2 cups rice vinegar
Directions: Bring all ingredients to a simmer then strain.
Mexican B.B. Gun
Created by James Horn for Añejo, Tribeca
Ingredients
1 oz. house-made grenadine
1 oz. fresh lime
Top with soda water
Directions: Combine ingredients in a highball glass with ice cubes. (Feel free to use grenadine off the shelf.) Top with soda water. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Casablanca
Created by Ray Sakover for Slowly Shirley
Ingredients
3/4 oz. lemon
1/2 tsp turmeric juice
1/4 oz. honey
1 oz. date-demerara syrup
2.5 oz. Moroccan syrup (simple syrup with bay leaves, allspice, cinnamon, clove and coriander seeds)
Directions: Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Add small ice to a Collins glass, then strain the cocktail into the glass. Garnish with a date wrapped in a lemon twist and a cinnamon/mint “palm tree.”