No joke: Keeping January dry with inventive mocktails
Dry January is no joke in New Orleans, especially when you're faced with the festivities of the upcoming Carnival season, the stress of following the Saints and, well, (gestures wearily at the world) everything. Luckily, our city is blessed with some of the finest drinks-mixers to ever pick up a swizzle stick. We rounded up a few recipes for you to at least keep things interesting if you're off the sauce until February.
The Pool Club at Virgin Hotels: The Aloe Elixir
Ingredients: 1 oz Seedlip Garden 108, 2 oz aloe vera juice, 0.75 oz Real Watermelon, 0.5 oz lime, 0.5 oz ginger syrup, sprinkle of cayene. Garnish: dehydrated lime. Glass: rocks, pebble ice
Method: Combine all ingredients in a shaker, shake, strain
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The Bower: Kin’dred Spritz
Ingredients: 3 oz of kin spritz euphorics (n/a), 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, Splash of fever tree tonic water, Mint for garnish
Method: Add kin and lime juice to a shaker with ice. Shake thoroughly and pour into a collins glass over ice. Top with a splash of your favorite soda water. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint.
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Mister Mao: Chismosa
Ingredients: 2oz Lyres Dark Cane Spirit, 1oz Lyres Italian Orange, 1oz Cocktail + Sons Fassionola Syrup (locally made), 1oz Pineapple juice, 0.25 fee foam (vegan foam), 5 drops NA All the Bitters
Method: Combine ingredients in a shaker, pour into chilled coupe, garnish with dehydrated lime wheel
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Compere Lapin: Everybody’s Heard
Ingredients: 1.5 oz Oregon Chai Concentrate, 0.75 oz Dhos Bittersweet Non-Alcoholic Apertif, 1 oz Pineapple Juice, 0.75 oz Lime Juice, 0.33 oz Demerara Simple Syrup
Method: Combine all ingredients in mixing tin with ice and shake. Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and serve.
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Osteria Lupo: Bandierra Rossa
Ingredients: 1 oz Strawberry-Basil Syrup (see below for ingredients and method), 1 oz Lemon Juice, 4oz Cava
Method: 1. Build in a flute glass 2. Top with cava 3. Garnish with lemon twist
(For Strawberry Basil Syrup) Ingredients: 16 oz carton Strawberries, 1 cup whole black peppercorns, 1 cup packed fresh, whole, picked basil leaves, 16 oz White Sugar, 8 oz Hot Water
Method: 1. Remove strawberry stems and cut into slices. Mix together strawberry slices and sugar, shake periodically to dissolve (for best results, leave overnight.) 2. Steep pepper in 8 oz hot water for 5 minutes. Mix together strawberry/sugar mix with pepper-infused water. 3.In a saucepan, bring to a simmer strawberry/sugar mix and peppercorns, stirring until sugar is dissolved and strawberries are blanched. 4. Remove from heat, strain solids and add basil, leave to infuse/cool 5. Strain basil; bottle when cool.
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Birdy’s: Winter Spritz
Ingredients: 2 oz chai concentrate, 1 oz peach syrup, 0.5 oz fresh ginger, Splash of soda water, Cinnamon stick
Method: 1. Pour in chai, peach, and ginger into a wine glass. Stir until the mixture blends together. 2. Top with a splash of soda water. 3. Add ice and stir once more. 4. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
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Costera: Cucumber Mule
Ingredients: ½ oz Cucumber Shrub, ¾ oz Lime Juice, ¾ oz Simple Syrup, Splash of Ginger Beer
Method: 1. Combine all ingredients and short shake with ice. 2. Strain in a 10 oz. Collins glass, fill with ice. 3. Top with ginger beer, and garnish with a cucumber wheel.
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The Pool Club at Virgin Hotels: The Aloe Elixir
Ingredients: 1 oz Seedlip Garden 108, 2 oz aloe vera juice, 0.75 oz Real Watermelon, 0.5 oz lime, 0.5 oz ginger syrup, sprinkle of cayene. Garnish: dehydrated lime. Glass: rocks, pebble ice
Method: Combine all ingredients in a shaker, shake, strain
Website
The Bower: Kin’dred Spritz
Ingredients: 3 oz of kin spritz euphorics (n/a), 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, Splash of fever tree tonic water, Mint for garnish
Method: Add kin and lime juice to a shaker with ice. Shake thoroughly and pour into a collins glass over ice. Top with a splash of your favorite soda water. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint.
Website
Mister Mao: Chismosa
Ingredients: 2oz Lyres Dark Cane Spirit, 1oz Lyres Italian Orange, 1oz Cocktail + Sons Fassionola Syrup (locally made), 1oz Pineapple juice, 0.25 fee foam (vegan foam), 5 drops NA All the Bitters
Method: Combine ingredients in a shaker, pour into chilled coupe, garnish with dehydrated lime wheel
Website
Compere Lapin: Everybody’s Heard
Ingredients: 1.5 oz Oregon Chai Concentrate, 0.75 oz Dhos Bittersweet Non-Alcoholic Apertif, 1 oz Pineapple Juice, 0.75 oz Lime Juice, 0.33 oz Demerara Simple Syrup
Method: Combine all ingredients in mixing tin with ice and shake. Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and serve.
Website
Osteria Lupo: Bandierra Rossa
Ingredients: 1 oz Strawberry-Basil Syrup (see below for ingredients and method), 1 oz Lemon Juice, 4oz Cava
Method: 1. Build in a flute glass 2. Top with cava 3. Garnish with lemon twist
(For Strawberry Basil Syrup) Ingredients: 16 oz carton Strawberries, 1 cup whole black peppercorns, 1 cup packed fresh, whole, picked basil leaves, 16 oz White Sugar, 8 oz Hot Water
Method: 1. Remove strawberry stems and cut into slices. Mix together strawberry slices and sugar, shake periodically to dissolve (for best results, leave overnight.) 2. Steep pepper in 8 oz hot water for 5 minutes. Mix together strawberry/sugar mix with pepper-infused water. 3.In a saucepan, bring to a simmer strawberry/sugar mix and peppercorns, stirring until sugar is dissolved and strawberries are blanched. 4. Remove from heat, strain solids and add basil, leave to infuse/cool 5. Strain basil; bottle when cool.
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Birdy’s: Winter Spritz
Ingredients: 2 oz chai concentrate, 1 oz peach syrup, 0.5 oz fresh ginger, Splash of soda water, Cinnamon stick
Method: 1. Pour in chai, peach, and ginger into a wine glass. Stir until the mixture blends together. 2. Top with a splash of soda water. 3. Add ice and stir once more. 4. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Website
Costera: Cucumber Mule
Ingredients: ½ oz Cucumber Shrub, ¾ oz Lime Juice, ¾ oz Simple Syrup, Splash of Ginger Beer
Method: 1. Combine all ingredients and short shake with ice. 2. Strain in a 10 oz. Collins glass, fill with ice. 3. Top with ginger beer, and garnish with a cucumber wheel.
Website
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