Ponche de Frutas
Warm fruit punch complements Las Posadas festivities
non-alcoholic drink recipes
Lush in flavor only: Zero-proof cocktails don’t have to be boring
The era of cloying soda and fruit juice “mocktails” is over. The craft cocktail movement has brought a healthier, more sophisticated approach to nonalcoholic drinks that offers bar-goers a choice, not a compromise.
Mike Paczkowski, co-owner of The Hammer & Quill in the East Race neighborhood of South Bend, IN, and a local cocktail wizard, created three spirit-free drinks for us based on some of his most popular cocktails.
Paczkowski is known for drinks lush in botanical flavors, layered with herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables. For these seasonal cocktails, “the whole premise is that these are ingredients that people either grow in their gardens or are readily available at the farmers market or supermarket,” he says.
Many of his cocktails make use of shrubs—simple syrups based on sugar and vinegar rather than water—infused with any of a host of flavors. These natural cure-alls, once known as “drinking vinegars,” balance his cocktails with a subtle acidity. Oxymels, which substitute honey for sugar, offer similar benefits.
Paczkowski encourages home mixologists to adapt these recipes to their individual taste and offers ideas for substitutions or additions. The quantities used to top off drinks— generally filling to the top of the glass—depend on the desired result, but 1 to 2 ounces is a good place to start.
The Hammer & Quill
613 E. Jefferson Blvd. South Bend, IN
574.274.3508
thehammerandquill.com
Monte Cristo
For this drink, based on Hammer & Quill’s best-selling cocktail, Paczkowski uses smoked chili bitters to replace the mescal, but notes that any smoked bitters will work. Peppercorns lend a deep spice flavor, and sparkling grape juice adds effervescence and balances out the heat. As Paczkowski says, “the spice kind of kisses you and falls away.”
- 1.25 ounces Spicy Black Cherry Shrub (below)
- .75 ounce lime juice
- 4 dashes smoked bitters
- Sparkling grape juice
- Jalapeño pepper, optional
Fill a lowball glass with ice. Add shrub, lime juice and bitters to the glass and stir to combine. Top with sparkling grape juice, and garnish with a jalapeño slice if desired.
Strawberry Fields
Paczkowski, who pairs flavors like a chef, combines summer classics strawberry and rhubarb with rich balsamic vinegar and the light herbaceousness of dill. He suggests experimenting with other herbs, too, such as mint, rosemary or thyme. The effervescent kombucha, also noted for its health benefits, can be found on tap at South Bend’s Purple Porch Co-op or Goshen’s Maple City Market. Paczkowski likes the rose or strawberry rooibos, lemon-lime or ginger flavors in this drink.
- 1.25 ounces Strawberry-Rhubarb Oxymel (below)
- .75 ounce lemon juice
- 2 dashes celery bitters
- 2–4 sprigs fresh dill, plus more for garnish
- Black tea kombucha
- Celery sticks, optional
Fill a tall glass (e.g., Tom Collins style) with ice. Combine oxymel, lemon juice, bitters and dill; shake. Strain into glass and top with kombucha. Garnish with fresh dill and celery if desired.
Spicy Black Cherry Shrub
- 6 ounces black cherries
- ½ tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1–2 dried Thai chilies (or substitute ¼ jalapeño)
- ½ orange rind
- 1¼ cups apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cups sugar
Bring cherries, peppercorns, chilies, orange rind and apple cider vinegar to a boil. Press the cherries to extract juice, then add sugar. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Strain into Mason jars and store in the fridge for up to a year.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Oxymel
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup honey
- ½ cup strawberries, sliced in half
- ½ pound rhubarb, chopped
Bring all ingredients to a low boil and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool and press fruit to extract remaining juice. Strain into Mason jars and store in the fridge for up to a year.
The Sands of Thyme
In this amber-hued cocktail, inspired by a popular tiki drink at the bar last summer, ginger beer and allspice add kick, and the coconut water is a light, barely there touch, distinguishing it from most syrupy tropical drinks. Paczkowski recommends Q ginger beer for more spice or Barritt’s for more sweetness, and notes that Fever-Tree is also a good option.
- 1 jasmine tea bag
- 2 sprigs thyme
- ½ teaspoon whole allspice
- .75 ounce orgeat
- .5 ounce lime juice
- Coconut water
- Ginger beer
- Mint, optional
Steep jasmine tea, thyme and allspice with 8 ounces hot water for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove tea bag and herbs; let cool.
Fill a tall glass (e.g., Tom Collins style) with ice. Add the tea, orgeat and lime juice to the glass, stir and top with equal parts coconut water and ginger beer. Garnish with fresh mint if desired.
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