DIY Mixology
If you are a total cocktail nerd who is getting into craft mocktails, I highly suggest you order Zero, A New Approach to Non-alcoholic Drinks. In it, you’ll find the guidance to make your own zero ABV backbar inspired by gin, whiskey, tequila, triple sec, mezcal, rum, Amaro, Chartreuse, Fernet, Campari, and classic bitters.
I started with gin. It’s complex, interesting, and very drinkable. Bonus: It took just a few hours after gathering everything I needed.
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Most of the whole spices were readily available in the bulk spice section of a gourmet grocery store. A few ingredients– vegetable glycerin and angelica root, specifically– I did have to buy on Amazon.
Zero ABV gin worked well with tonic and as a sour, but I wouldn’t try to tell a gin drinker that it’s gin. In my next batch, I will try to amplify the juniper notes by bruising the juniper berries more.
The recipe cautioned me not to puree the juniper berries, so I may have been too cautious, leaving the tincture lacking the full gin that I enjoy.
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If you go the DIY route, it will help to have a few things on-hand:
Note: The blender and scales are the minimum starting place. You’ll be using your blender to make tinctures (concentrated extracts made by blending up spices, herbs, or barks in a liquid). In the zero ABV gin, I blended juniper berries in a combination of vegetable glycerin and water.
Many of the ingredients you’ll be working with are very aromatic, flavorful, and lightweight, so a little bit will go a long way. Therefore, you’ll be weighing out one to five-gram portions on a gram scale instead of using measuring spoons.
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Water, fruit juice, and vegetable glycerin-heavy ingredients are just too much for the tiny gram scale. That’s why you’ll also need a kitchen scale.
Plus, there are many uses for a scale once it’s part of your kitchen set up: You can weigh flour for baking, sugar and water for making syrups, and food for portion control. What I’m saying is that it’s super handy and you should just get one.
Overall, I’m delighted with the outcome. I know my craft mocktail menu options will be endless when I complete the backbar. Next up is zero ABV American whiskey!
Limitations can inspire creativity. Eliminating alcohol is just such a boundary. Writing this guide to craft mocktails has shown me that complex, well-balanced, and visually stimulating non-alcoholic drinks are more than possible. They are a necessary part of a home bar or professional bar program.
