In t he Spir it By Tony Cross

Starting Over

Embracing th e fl avor of zero A BV dr ink s

By ton y C roSS I’ve always had a weird relationship with Januar y. Part of me likens the month to 31 Sundays. It’s the day after a raging Saturday night; ever ything is kind of fuzzy; I’ve come down from the big high that was the holidays and all the excess that comes with it. The other part of me (probably my organs) is looking for ward to getting back on track with diet and exercise. I never stopped any of that, but last month I doubled down on the debaucher y, so they kind of canceled each other out. Kind of.

This Januar y, I am taking the month of f from spirits and am focusing on the year ahead as clear-headed as I can be. I hate Februar y, too, but will have my half-filled bottles of whiskey and rum to see me through. If you’re like me and are taking a sabbatical — or maybe you’re pregnant or maybe you and alcohol don’t have a great relationship — here are some zero-proof drinks that can cheer you up af ter the big comedown. There are quite a few syrups and such to be made with these drinks, so be prepared. Of course, they’re delicious in spirit-based cocktails, too.

LA LUZ

Jon Feuersanger, 2019, Death & Co. N YC, New York

Hot of f the press! The folks over at Death & Co. have just released their newest cocktail book, Welcome Home. Admittedly, I have not been able to read all of it, but when I first opened the book to skim through it, what did catch my eye was the addition to their repertoire of low- and no-ABV cocktails. The first ingredient in this drink is verjus. Verjus is the juice of unripened grapes. It’s usually acidic and can be dr y. You can order it online and get it within the week. The Christmas crunch is over, right? As an alternative to using citrus juices, verjus can be a great base in a non-alcoholic cocktail. It’s also terrific as a balancer in cocktails with spirits in them. Feuersanger writes of his mocktail, “No-ABV drinks can be challenging. Ingredients interact differently with alcohol. I looked to Hawaii to inspire this summer y drink. The tartness of the pineapple pulp cordial plays with the acidit y and sweetness of the passion fruit purée and gives the drink the weight of a Gimlet or Sidecar. It sounds sweet, but it goes down easy.”

La Luz

1 3/4 ounces Fusion verjus blanc 1 ounce pineapple pulp cordial (recipe below) 1/2 ounce Perfect Purée passion fruit purée 1/4 ounce fresh lime juice 1 dash orange blossom water 1 lime wheel (garnish) Shake all ingredients with ice, then double strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with lime wedge.

Pineapple Pulp Cordial 450 grams unbleached cane sugar 450 grams filtered water 100 grams pineapple pulp (lef t over from juicing pineapple) Malic acid Citric acid Combine the sugar, water, and pineapple pulp in a blender and process until the sugar has dissolved. Strain the mixture through a paper cof fee filter or Superbag (available on modernistpantr y.com). Calculate 2 percent of the weight of the above mixture to get X grams of malic acid. Calculate 3 percent of the above mixture to get Y grams of citric acid. Pour X and Y into a storage container and refrigerate until ready to use, up to two weeks.

BUSINESS CASUAL

Jon Mateer, 2019, Death & Co. N YC, New York

Yes, I know — that last drink was a doozy. Fear not. This one doesn’t involve much math, but you will probably need to order a few ingredients online. The first is Gif fard ’s Aperitif syrup. It’s a great substitute for Campari or Cappelletti Aperitivo — red and bitter. This aperitif has flavors of bitter oranges, gentian root and spice. As a side note, you can enjoy this with spark ling water and an orange slice and be A- OK.

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Business Casual

1 1/4 ounces Gif fard Aperitif syrup 3/4 ounce chilled brewed black tea 1 ounce red verjus syrup (recipe below) 1 teaspoon cane sugar syrup (recipe below) 1 orange half wheel (garnish) Stir all the ingredients over ice, then strain into a double old-fashioned glass over 1 large ice cube. Garnish with the orange half wheel.

Red Verjus Syrup 130 grams red verjus 60 grams vanilla syrup (see below) 31.5 grams cinnamon syrup (see below) In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until combined. Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 weeks.

Vanilla Syrup 500 grams simple syrup (equal parts sugar and distilled water) 2 grams vanilla extract Combine in a storage container and shake. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 weeks

Cinnamon Syrup* 500 grams simple syrup 15 grams crushed cinnamon sticks Blend together and pour into a storage container to sit overnight in refrigerator. Strain out solids the next morning, and refrigerate syrup, up to 2 weeks. *(The Death & Co. recipe is a bit much, this is a simpler version.)

Cane Sugar Syrup 30 0 g rams unbleached cane sugar 150 g rams filtered water Combine the sugar and water in a blender and process until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into a storage container and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 weeks. PS

Tony Cross is a bartender (well, ex-bartender) who runs cocktail catering company Reverie Cocktails in Southern Pines.

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