Whether for health reasons or to keep up with that New Year’s resolution, nonalcoholic cocktails — mocktails — are becoming more and more popular. When alcohol-free spirits started to show up in my neighborhood store, I was curious and decided to give them a try. I soon learned that you cannot simply substitute a nonalcoholic bourbon or gin in your favorite cocktail and expect it to taste the same. To make a great-tasting beverage, you need to know what mixers will blend with and complement the nonalcoholic spirits.
Fortunately, Anne Schaeffer has the answers in her New Mocktails Bible. This helpful book features 250 nonalcoholic drink recipes for many occasions. There are also chapters on ingredients, mixing, and stocking the perfect home bar.
I put Schaeffer’s New Mocktails Bible to the test and picked up some of the mixers and other ingredients recommended in the book. I generally prefer traditional cocktails, so I started with the Maple Bourbon Old Fashioned.
MAPLE BOURBON OLD FASHIONED
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:
- 3 oz Free Spirits™ The Spirit of Bourbon
- ½ tsp bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup
- 1 dash aromatic bitters
- Ice
- 1 slice orange peel, for garnish
- 1 maraschino cherry, for garnish
HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker, mix, and pour over ice. Garnish with an orange peel and cherry and enjoy!
Recipe and photo courtesy of The Free Spirits Company, published in New Mocktails Bible by Fox Chapel Publishing.