Zero Proof Recipe: Morning Glory
Fizzes, or drinks made with egg whites, are part of a long tradition of light drinks designed for brunch and daytime sipping. One of the most famous fizzes of them all is the Ramos Gin Fizz, which is beloved by bartenders (it’s so creamy and delicious) but also despised by bartenders (it takes a long time to shake properly, which can be a killer on a busy bar night).
In this zero proof twist on the classic, there’s no gin but the introduction of orange juice cubes amps up the citrus-and-cream allure of the drink. Shake it until you’re tired, then shake it again.
This drink requires two shakes, a dry shake and then one with ice.
Combine lemon juice, egg white, sugar, heavy cream and orange blossom water in a tin and dry shake briskly to emulsify the liquid. Add the orange juice ice cubes (about 4 cubes) then shake again (about 3 minutes) until the ice stops rattling in the tin and the drink is frothy and very creamy. (This might take several long shakes; if you get tired, take a 5-second break, then keep going.)
Pour into a Collins glass and fill nearly to the top. Place the drink in a freezer to set and harden slightly. Temperatures will vary but check it at about 7 - 10 minutes. As it hardens into a meringue, it will rise when the water is poured on top.
Remove the drink from the freezer. Slowly pour Blood Orange HOP WTR to top. Serve with a straw.
The exact amount of juice needed will vary based on the size of your ice cube trays. Pour orange juice into a clean ice cube tray and freeze until needed.
Using orange juice ice cubes in this drink will chill the liquid, and add a touch of flavor but keep the amount of extra dilution down. This is a way to introduce flavor without watering down the drink, which would be the case with regular ice cubes.
Zero Proof Recipe: Digital Nomad
New recipe drop: Check out the Digital Nomad.
A recipe for pineapple sherbet in an 1891 cocktail book serves as the inspiration for a zero proof riff on shaved ice, with tasting notes that temper the zing of citrus with a whisper of chocolate and the sparkle of classic HOP WTR (@hopwtr), a hops-infused fizzy water.
The result: A drink that’s as pleasant in the early afternoon as it is late at night, and appropriate for any season, whether it’s a cold winter or a bright summer day.
Remove sherbet from the freezer and let it soften slightly (about 10 - 15 minutes).
In a mixing tin, combine grapefruit, agave and several ice cubes. Shake until mixture is cold and well-combined. Open tin, add about 1 ounce of HOP WTR, swirl in the tin.
Pour mixture, including ice into a couple
With a spoon or knife, break up the frozen sherbet to make ice shavings. The slushier, the better. (Think of how one makes sno-cones or shaved ice.) Gently gather the ice shavings in a spoon or jigger, then place in the center of the drink. The ice shards don’t have to sit packed in the jigger, they will be slightly fluffy.
Add several dashes of chocolate bitters, and serve.
Combine juices and water in a plastic quart container. Cover and freeze.
You Don't Have To Do Dry January, You Get To Do Dry January
Originally published in Drink Monday blog.
As a reporter and the author of “Zero Proof: 90 Non-Alcoholic Recipes for Mindful Drinking,” I get hundreds of emails, comments and DMs about Dry January. Here’s the trend I’ve noticed: Most people begin by framing Dry January in a negative way. Typical emails and blog posts offer ways to “survive” Dry January, which is “a month of social exile” and is all but fated to be “boring.”
This type of attitude, that Dry January is something joyless to be gotten through, only reinforces the idea that alcohol is the default setting for good times, and everything else is lacking. Describing taking a month off of drinking with phrases like “social exile”, “survival” and “boring” paint Dry January in bleak terms that suggest it’s only meaningful when it’s over.
Those ideas are, frankly, the wrong attitude.
My favorite fitness instructor will often tell the class that you don’t have to work out, you get to work out. He will point out that being able to move freely, to dance even, is about finding joy, not focusing on tedium or even the short term pain of squats and planks. Changing that perspective, transforming repetitive lifts into mindful moments, can really make an impact in how one approaches daily workouts. I find this grateful-to-be-here attitude gives me a mental kick even if my body isn’t always entirely energetic at the moment. What happens next? You do the workout and you feel great afterwards.
In a similar way, this kind of thinking can apply to Dry January. No one has to do Dry January. You get to give yourself a drinking re-set.
There will be no suffering in social exile, but if you go into Dry January expecting it to be dull, maybe it will be.
Rather, if you think of Dry January as the re-set that it is, and approach it as a gift of mindfulness, not only will it be easier to do, but you may discover new things about yourself. A month off is a great time to build new habits or tricks that will resonate if you do go back to the occasional drink in the post-January months.
Everyone’s journey is different, but a positive attitude really does make nearly everything easier to tackle.
Zero Proof Recipe: Spice World Tour
New recipe drop: Pineapple spice is what you want, what you really, really want. Pineapple shows up often in zero proof drinks because of its built-in sweetness and its lively froth, but also due to its carefree, escapist connotations.
In this new recipe, Spice World Tour, I pair pineapple and a rich homemade spiced syrup with the tart zing of Mango HOP WTR. Having friends over? The Spice World Tour is just thing to please all of those personalities at once.
Shake it down, wind it all around.
In a shaking tin, combine juices, syrup and several ice cubes. Shake briskly until well-combined and thoroughly chilled.
Pour mixture and ice into a glass, then top with scoops of crushed ice. (see note) Slowly pour Mango HOP WTR (about one ounce) to top. Set can aside to top off, as needed.
Garnish with fresh grating of cinnamon across the top.
Note: To make crushed ice, place a handful of ice cubes on a clean dish towel. Wrap ice tightly into a small bundle, then hit the bundle on a counter with a hard object (metal water bottles work well). Continue until all the ice has splintered into small shards. Scoop up the small bits of ice with a spoon.
In a medium saucepan, add water, the coconut flakes and the spices. Heat gently over very low heat, then add the sugar and stir until fully dissolved. Cook over very low heat (at the lowest heat seating) for about 20 minutes. The mixture should never boil.
Remove from heat, set aside to cool. Set aside to infuse in a container, ideally overnight. Strain and discard solids. Keep syrup in the refrigerator.
Zero Proof Recipe: The Mood Board
No filter needed when you're this cute. My newest recipe, the Mood Board, is inspired by the Queen Charlotte, a Temperance cocktail featured in Cocktail Boothby's 1891 bartending guide.
The Mood Board features two kinds of colored ice, a sprightly raspberry syrup and a kiss of orgeat. It was designed for the social media spotlight.
This drink was created in partnership with the lovely folks at HOP WTR, a sparkling hops-infused water.
In a mixing tin, combine raspberry syrup, orgeat, lime juice and several colored ice cubes. (Note: Wear gloves while handling the colored ice, as it will stain fingers temporarily). Shake briskly until well-chilled and most of the ice stops rattling in the tin. The longer you shake, the darker the color of the drink.
Open tin, add chilled Classic HOP WTR and swirl. Gently pour drink, including remaining colored ice, into a tall Collins glass. Serve with a straw.
Top off with more HOP WTR and fresh colored ice, as needed. The remaining ice will slowly melt, changing the color of the drink slightly.
In a medium saucepan, combine raspberries and water. Cover, then cook over the lowest heat setting for one hour. The raspberries will turn pale, while the liquid will be bright pink.
Remove from heat and let thoroughly cool. Strain away solids, gently pressing to extract liquid. Measure the remaining liquid; whatever the new volume s, add an equal amount of sugar. For example, you may likely get ¾ cups of liquid after straining away the raspberries. In that case, add ¾ cup sugar, then stir until fully dissolved. Store in the refrigerator.
In a small saucepan, heat water to just under boiling. Pour water into two heat proof containers. Add multiple drops of purple dye in one container, and blue dye in the other. The more dye you add, the brighter the colors will be. Typically, about 4 - 5 dashes will get the water deeply tinted.
Pour purple water into one ice cube tray, and the blue in the other. Set aside to freeze until needed. Note: An ice tray with smaller-sized cubes, such as petite spherical molds, works very well for this versus larger molds.
Zero Proof Recipe: Carrot Spritz
Dry January is a time to discover new flavors and styles. I dug deep into my archives to showcase this sprightly drink that unfurls the promise of spring in the dead of winter.
New York's acclaimed The Fat Radish has now closed but it lives on in my heart as one of the earliest venues that gave zero proof drinks the attention they deserve. The Carrot Spritz, by Gaby Mlynarczyk, adds a spike of ginger to fresh pressed carrot juice and the warming notes of vanilla. Give it a whirl -- you won't regret it.
Add carrot juice, ginger syrup, lemon juice and vanilla to a mixing tin filled with ice. Shake hard to combine and chill.
Pour ginger beer into shaker, and swirl to combine. Strain into chilled glass filled with ice.
Dry January Mentions Soared By 1000% in Four Years
When did you first hear about Dry January?
If taking a month off of drinking feels like it's become a regular part of each new year, that's because the conversation has increasingly grown over time, especially on social media.
Is there a point where Dry January will be over-saturated? Or has it woven itself inextricably into the contemporary wellness culture?
The sharp rise in interest in all things Dry January suggests it's not just a fad but a long-term trend. That said, at some point, even the strongest trends fade.
My version of a prediction: People will continue to do Dry January, but will evolve it to take time off drinking on their own terms, like "every three weeks of each month" or "every other two months."
However, you do it, do it on your own terms and find what works for you.
Zero Proof Recipe: The Sober Rabbit
Dry January is a time for bartenders to shine. It's also a chance to showcase some of the best zero proof drinks that cross my radar.
Case in point: The Sober Rabbit, courtesy of Jose Romero, from R House in Miami's Wynwood district.
2021: Over Six Million Tried Dry January
Over six million people reported they tried Dry January last year.
Despite (or perhaps because of) news stories about people drinking a lot during the pandemic, a record amount signed up for a month of alcohol abstinence in 2021.
Will the trend continue upward this year? I'd bet a solid yes. Mostly because many people do Dry January on their own terms and don't sign up officially to be counted. (This number comes via the official Dry January app.)
If Google search trends are any indication, interest in the topic in the US spikes up every first of the year.
Zero Proof Recipe: Red Scarf Season
Did someone say Dry January? I got you. Stay tuned for new recipes, tips and more.
Whether it's your first Dry January or not, here's a new recipe to kick off this month of austerity, fresh starts and shiny new beginnings.
Mulled apple cider is one of the timeless joys of the winter season. For your next cozy session, make the Red Scarf Season.
While many spiced apple cider drinks lean into a sweet tasting profile, this recipe plays up the savory potential in cider.
Five-Spice powder (cinnamon, fennel, cloves, star anise, white pepper) amps up the umami tones while sumac berries lift the drink with bright tartness. For the adventurous, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to bring the drink to a well-rounded, lingering finish
In a small saucepan, add apple cider, sumac and 5-spice powder. Warm on the lowest heat seating. Cover and let infuse over lowest heat setting, occasionally stirring, for 30 minutes. Do not boil.
Remove from heat. Fill mugs about halfway with warm cider (between 3 - 4 oz per drink). (You may have spiced cider leftover.) Add 2 ounces of alt-whiskey per mug and stir to combine. Add a small pinch of cayenne powder as a garnish, if desired.