Cocktails are alcoholic mixed drinks consisting of a combination of liquor or other alcohol with fruit juices and other flavorings. These beverages may be served chilled or over ice. They are often sweetened with sugar or other sweeteners and may be garnished with various fruits or other edible ingredients. The term cocktails are also used to describe drinks that mix two or more different types of alcoholic beverage, such as whisky and vodka, or any other liquid ingredient, including herbal infusions and non-alcoholic mixers such as soda water or coffee.
Originally intended to make the harsh taste of distilled spirits more palatable, cocktails are now a creative art form embraced by bartenders and mixologists worldwide. Depending on the type of cocktail, there are thousands and thousands of recipes and styles to choose from. Typically, the most popular cocktails contain hard liquor mixed with fruit juice to hide the strong alcohol taste and allow for a more extended period of intoxication.
Although you may make a cocktail as straightforward or intricate as you like, there are a few key considerations. Whether serving a classic whiskey highball or a fresh fruit daiquiri, the right tools and ingredients are necessary to ensure your cocktails arrive ideally. It includes the best cocktail shaker and cocktail glasses.
Various cocktail recipes can be found online and in various cocktail books. But it’s preferable to start small and go from there. It will help you understand how these drinks are made and what is involved in mixing them.
A non-alcoholic cocktail is a drink that lacks alcohol. Often, these drinks are designed to be an alternative to a traditional cocktail by directly recreating the same flavor profile with other ingredients.
Juices can add acidity and brightness to cocktails and offer various flavors.
Sweeteners
Although sugar is an essential element in cocktails, it has a terrible reputation for being harmful. With the emergence of low-sugar sweeteners, bartenders can keep the sweetness of their drinks intact without adding a ton of calories.
Natural sweeteners like agave nectar and honey offer a higher level of sweetness than simple syrup but add different flavors. Some natural sweeteners taste pleasant, warm, or nutty, while others have an intensely sugary flavor.
Homemade syrups can add a depth of flavor to non-alcoholic drinks like virgin cosmopolitan and help balance sweetness so the drink doesn’t taste cloying. Another popular sweetener is maple syrup, which offers a large percentage of sweetness with a complex flavor profile.
Flavors
Whether kicking off the year with Dry January, pursuing a zero-proof lifestyle, or joining the growing number of sober curious drinkers, non-alcoholic cocktails deliver all the refreshment and party flavor you want without the alcohol. From zero-proof spirits to dealcoholized wines and craft mocktails, this new world of alcohol alternatives offers a refreshing array of options.
Homemade syrups and other flavorful ingredients can make even the most straightforward mocktail recipes taste more interesting. Try a mint, ginger, lavender or rose simple syrup, or add a few bitters for herbal complexity.
Sourness
As the number of booze-free drinkers rises, restaurants look for ways to make these beverages as exciting and innovative as their boozy counterparts. That’s why many are employing a new trend: zero-proof cocktails.
These drinks are typically made by recreating a cocktail with juices, syrups, and botanicals on ice. They may also use a distilled, non-alcoholic spirit to add body. In addition, some chefs infuse their syrups and liqueurs with herbs and whole spices to add complexity and depth of flavor.
Sourness is one of the five primary taste sensations, along with sweet, bitter, umami, and salty. It evokes the feeling of acidity and tartness, which is often found in citrus fruits.
Some bartenders use a non-alcoholic distilled spirit to achieve a more tart flavor in a mocktail.
Bitterness
Bitterness is a crucial component that distinguishes an Old Fashioned from a Manhattan, but it can be easily overlooked in non-alcoholic cocktails. Bitterness is a balancing agent, and they help tie ingredients together.
Cocktail bitters are generally made by macerating fresh herbs, roots, and spices in alcohol for a time that draws out their flavors. These ingredients can also be used in a non-alcoholic recipe to add a punch of bitterness often missing from mocktails. However, you don’t have to use bitters for a drink to be well-balanced and flavorful.
You can find several bitters that don’t contain alcohol, and both tea and coffee offer complex bitterness that’s easy to incorporate into drinks which helps with weight loss.
Salt
Whether it’s a refreshing cucumber mojito, a strawberry basil martini, or a spicy mango caipirinha, these non-alcoholic drinks are as flavorful as their boozy counterparts. Many use easy-to-source ingredients, including shrubs and fresh-pressed juices paired with flavorful, simple syrups or ginger beer. A few dashes of bitters can also balance sweet flavors and sour notes, and adding aromatic whole herbs to your simple syrup while simmering is an easy way to infuse cocktails with extra depth.
No longer relegated to dry January and sober October, low-ABV and zero-proof drinks have become a year-round beverage trend that forces bartenders to think creatively about presentation and complexity.
