Mocktails. Photo courtesy of Hydrive Energy Water.
Mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails) are growing in sophistication and popularity. Even the Wall Street Journal has noticed.
Fueled by those who are more self-conscious, it’s a true testament to a bartender’s skills when he or she is asked to created a “soft” drink.
According to the Wall Street Journal article: “I feel nonalcoholic cocktails are in the same position where vegetables were years back,” said Alex Kratena, head bartender at London’s Artesian Bar. “It used to be that a dish was constructed around a piece of meat, and then chefs became interested in stretching their creativity by experimenting more heavily with vegetables. These days, you see vegetarian tasting menus at Michelin three-star restaurants.”
I recently interviewed several mixologists who are creating healthier versions of classic cocktails and this concept keeps coming up: how can we keep the flavor profiles of these cocktails, keep them boozy, but make them healthier?
Tyler Lymer, a specialty mixologist, award-winning cocktail guru and bartender at Chicago’s tesori, has been switching out ingredients of hangover-inducing, high-calorie cocktails such as a Red Bull and vodka specialty ingredients such HYDRIVE Energy Water to create some of his mocktails. According to the folks at HYDRIVE, the low-calorie energy water combines the light, refreshing taste of enhanced water and the same amount of caffeine as a leading energy drink making it an ideal substitute for high-calorie traditional cocktails.
Want to try your hand at creating mocktails? Tyler Lymer shares two of his recipes with us
Blueberry Chamomile Boost Mocktail. Photo courtesy of Hydrive Energy Water.
Blueberry Chamomile Boost
- 2 oz. Citrus Burst HYDRIVE Energy Water
- 2 oz. Chamomile Tea (brewed Double Strength)
- 1 oz. Blueberry Simple Syrup
- 1 oz. Lemon Juice
Shake well with ice and Double Strain into a coupe, Garnish with 3 blueberries on a cocktail pick.
Black Cherry High Mocktail. Photo courtesy of Hydrive Energy Water.
Black Cherry High
- 3 oz. Black Cherry HYDRIVE Energy Water
- .75 oz. Star Anise Simple Syrup
- .75 oz. Lemon Juice
- 2 dash Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters (non-alcoholic)
- 2 oz. Sparkling Pomegranate Soda (Izze)
Build first 4 ingredients in a shaker, add ice. Shake well, Strain into a Collins Glass with ice. Top with Izze Pomegranate Soda. Garnish with a full (unbroken) Star Anise and a large straw.
Megy Karydes is founder of Wandering Tastes, a lifestyle and travel site that is meant to inspire adventure and exploration through traveling and food. She’s also a regular contributor to 10best.com, part of the USA Today Travel family, TravelingMom.com as Foodie TravelingMom and writes for several other print magazines and online media outlets.
