JANUARY 2021
Historically some people choose to practice “Dry January” and more power to them. But, as the New York Times pointed out, this particular January, in the interests of self preservation, one may need to be more damp than dry. So we’ll kick off this 2021 subscription series with a non-alcoholic cocktail, and I’ll let you know how to slip in some booze should you choose. That will be the general theme of this subscription - a recipe or style of cocktail, and how you at home can add your own twist, flair or modification to suit your taste (or liquor cabinet!!). There’ll be a quick video and long form recipe as well as some variations in the footnotes.
WHERE’S MY MOCKTAIL?!?!
This non-alcoholic cocktails based on a Pimm’s Cup with a Mule or Buck base. Think Moscow Mule or Dark and Stormy with homemade ginger soda. It’s easy to make and easy to modify. “Where’s My Mocktail?!?” is a recurring line in the Parker Posey New York classic “Party Girl”. (fun fact: Party Girl was the first feature film to debut on the internet). I rewatched it recently to see if it held up (25 years later) and was happy that not only did it bring the same joy, but that I had an even greater appreciation of it upon revisiting! Rene, a recovering belligerent alcoholic, owns the bar central to the film and often screams “WHERE’S MY MOCKTAIL?!?!” at her long suffering bartenders. It imprinted itself on my mind and I was delighted to create something worthy of such an amazing character. You can check out one iconic scene here.
The Recipe
4 slices of cucumber (chopped)
2 sprigs of Mint (one left whole, one stripped)
1 oz ginger syrup (see recipe)
¾ oz fresh lime juice
Seltzer
Angostura bitters
In a shaker tin, add cucumber, shredded mint leaves (if you have a muddler give them a bit of a smash here), ginger syrup and lime juice.
This is where you can add the clear spirit of your choice - I think gin and mezcal work best but play around with what you like or what you have. Start off with 1.25 oz of liquor.
PAI TIP: Always add your ingredients in order of least expensive to most expensive. That way if you make a mistake during the process and have to start over you’re not wasting the same amount of money.
Add ice and SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE!!
PAI TIP: If you added booze I would give it a taste here. It’s important when you’re modifying a recipe to taste as you go. Does the flavour and feeling of the alcohol come through? If not add a little more and give it another quick shake. Once you get it kind of where you want it (remember you’re going to add seltzer so the strength of some of those flavours will thin out a little bit)
Strain your mix into a tall glass and add seltzer to just over the halfway mark. Add ice until the glass is just shy of full. From here you’re going to add about 10 dashes of Angostura bitters - this style of bitters has a spicy flavour with hints of clove and cinnamon, so while it would work with the gin or vodka variations, if you added mezcal I would taste first and gradually add in the bitters, as all the combined flavours could start competing with each other.
Take your reserved Mint Sprig and laying it in the palm of your hand, give it a bit of a spank. This is called “Exciting the Herb” and releases the aromatic oils in the sprig, which goes on to further bring out the minty qualities of the drink!! Get your face in there and enjoy!!
GINGER SYRUP:
Chop 2 med sized pieces of ginger
Place in a small saucepan and add 1 cup of water
Boil uncovered for 7-10 minutes
Strain “tea” on top of ¾ cup of white sugar.
Stir until dissolved and voila!!
MAKE IT YOUR OWN!!
With a ginger, citrus, seltzer base for your cocktails you can try a ton of different variations. Here’s a few combos to give you some ideas. Remember to taste as you go and adjust as your palate tells you!!
Dark and Stormy. Nix the cucumber, add one less ice cube and in place of the bitters, float Goslings Black Seal Rum to the top of the glass. When you float something you’re going to gently pour the liquid directly onto the top ice cube. Science dictates that liquids will order themselves based on their specific gravity level, so -because the rum is “lighter” than the ginger combo it will layer on top until you physically mix it in.
Whiskey Buck. Substitute your clear spirit for a richer whiskey - I’m a rye girl myself - and the lime for lemon juice. You can keep the mint if you like, but the cucumber will add a vegetal aspect that might not work. Fun Fact - the buck is believed to have gotten its name when someone added a shot of whiskey to the previously non-alcoholic Horse’s Neck, which consisted of ginger ale with lemon juice. The added alcohol gave the horse a "kick" - hence, a bucking horse. Yee haw!! (Like horses? - you can get a limited edition Dirty Precious tee shirt here )
Pimms Cup. I’m a big fan of the Pimm's cup which is essential day drinking in the warmer months. Lemon juice works slightly better here, but lime is still great. Add one less ice cube and float Pimms no. 1 to the top of the glass. The Pimm’s acts in place of the bitters, as it has similar spice notes. It also is lower abv, coming in at about 25%. If that isn’t enough oomph for you can add a little gin to your ginger base. And you can add extra flavour depending on what fruit you have available to you, I enjoy fresh strawberries and orange slices in mine. Did we mention it also makes a great punch bowl? God we miss Summer. And people.