The ascent of the 0% cocktail!
Can alcohol-free cocktails ever be as good as their alcohol-rich counterparts? It’s a question I get asked a lot. And my answer is yes. Sometimes. And that’s why I wanted to write this blog. I’ve created a beautiful alcohol-free version of a real classic, the Peach Bellini. So, let’s get started, shall we?
Back to basics
If you have been to one of my cocktail masterclasses and listened carefully, you will know that all cocktail ingredients can be sorted into three categories:
- The base – is generally a single spirit.
- The modifier – adds volume to the drink and assists with the desired flavour and smoothness.
- Flavouring or colouring – using ingredients such as bitters, or syrups like Grenadine or Orgeat syrup.
Let’s explore aromatic and sour cocktails for example. The basic principle for sour cocktails is the 3-2-1 rule. When you’re mixing up a sour cocktail, aim for 3 parts spirits, 2 parts sour, and 1 part sweet.
It’s all about the base
In the UK, Seedlip is perhaps the best known brand for non-alcoholic spirits. They offer a delicious range of three distinctly different drinks. But we won’t be using them for our Bellini because we need a base with a kick and for that, we are turning to the Australian brand Lyre’s.
Back in 2019, there was practically Royal fanfare when Delicious Magazine’s Australian team received a caseload of Lyre’s alcohol-free spirit. “A new line of alcohol-free spirits has arrived” ran the headline. “The 14-strong range includes a Highland malt whiskey, dry London gin, spiced rum and coffee liqueur. Staying on the wagon has never been easier thanks to a new range of non-alcoholic spirits that taste exactly like their boozy brothers.” You could have heard the whoops from Brighton. Although their drinks range has expanded, their wonderful, spiced rum remains intact, which is a good thing, because it is the star of our show.
The modifier
Although Lyer’s make a non-alcoholic Italian-style prosecco, we will be using Nosecco. Produced by GCF in the southwest of France, it’s well-presented in a curvy art-deco bottle. It’s a nice fruity drink with a hint of elderflower. Lively, with decent colour, it’s a long way from wine, but it does its job as a non-alcoholic modifier. As an alternative to Nosecco, you could use Kombucha, a fermented tea.
Flavouring
We’ve paired the spiced rum’s high notes of caramel, molasses, classic spiced vanilla and toasted nuts with turmeric, black pepper, peach and lime.
The spice turmeric is composed of more than 100 compounds and there are many scientifically proven health benefits, such as the potential to improve heart health and prevent Alzheimer’s and cancer. It’s a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and many believe it will help improve symptoms of depression and arthritis.
You may be thinking that black pepper is in the mix just to add some heat. Well, you’d be wrong. Like turmeric, it too has numerous health benefits. It is high in antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory properties and may benefit your brain, improve blood sugar control, lower cholesterol levels and have cancer-fighting properties. But you’d also be right because a gentle grind adds some welcome heat to the spiced rum, bitter turmeric, sour lime and sweet peaches.
Soul Stirrer’s non-alcoholic peach bellini
To make 1 serving:
- Pour 50ml Lyre’s spiced rum into a shaker.
- Now make your peach puree using either four tinned peach halves or by skinning and stoning 2 peaches before mixing them in a blender. If it needs loosening, then add a drop of water at a time.
- Add 40 ml of peach puree to the shaker along with 20ml lime juice, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, a crack of fresh black pepper and shake away.
- Strain into a champagne glass and top it up with Nosecco or Kombucha.
