Turn your Cocktailer into a Mocktailer
Sometimes, you just don't want the alcohol. What to do? Turn your Cocktailer into a Mocktailer. Here are some suggestions.
Cosmo Mocktail
Turn your Cosmo Cocktailer into a Cosmo Mocktailer.
The Cosmo profile is crisp, tart and elegant. The Cosmo Mocktail must keep to this profile.
The challenge is making sure the Cosmo Mocktail isn’t too sweet. The Cosmo Cocktailer uses Citron Vodka, which is enough tart for a perfectly balanced Cosmo. You can simply replace the alcohol in your Cosmo Cocktailer with “spirit-free” alcohol alternatives, or try these substitutes:
Citron Vodka – Replace the Vodka with water and fresh squeezed lime or lemon, depending on your preference.
Cranberry Juice – You can use the same cranberry juice that you use for the Cosmo Cocktailer. You may want to chose unsweetened. Adding more lime can also help cut down on the sweetness. If you like more sweetness, you can use less lime juice and add simple syrup to taste, or use sweetened cranberry juice.
Cointreau – Cointreau is an orange liquor; an upscale version of Triple Sec. Triple sec has a purer orange flavor than Cointreau and is sweeter. Cointreau is made with both sweet and bitter orange peels, offering a complex and sweet citrus flavor. To replace Cointreau, start with orange juice, but that isn’t going to get you all the way. Adding orange zest may help. A touch of grenadine might help, but be careful. A little grenadine goes a long way.
If the flavor profile is a bit flat for your taste, top off your glass with some flavored or unflavored sparkling water.
Mai Tai Mocktail
Turn your Mai Tai Cocktailer into a Mai Tai Mocktailer.
The Mai Tai Cocktailer is rum-forward and very complex, using two types of rums and no juice. While you won’t be able to replicate that exactly in a Mai Tai Mocktail, you can still have a delicious mocktail.
Martinique Dark Rum - Martinique dark rum (rhum agricole) is made from fresh sugarcane juice with grassy, earthy, and organic notes.
Pineapple juice with almond and vanilla extract mimics the flavor profile but is sweeter.
Jamaican Golden Rum - Jamaican gold rum is typically made from molasses and is complex with flavors of ripe fruit and spice like banana, raisins, caramelized pineapple, vanilla, and anise.
A mixture of water and molasses mimics the flavor profile but is sweeter. Combine the water and molasses until you like the taste. Start with 4 teaspoons of molasses to 2/3 cup of boing water.
For a more complex substitute for both rums, make this syrup:
· 2 cups water
· 2 tbsp dark molasses
· 2 tbsp demerara or brown sugar
· 1/4 tsp allspice
· 1/4 tsp cinnamon
· 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (for a hint of warmth)
· pinch of nutmeg (optional)
· a few cacao nibs (optional
Bring above to a boil and simmer for 5 min, remove from heat and add:
· 1 tsp rum extract (look for alcohol-free versions if necessary)
· 1 tsp vanilla extract
· 3-4 dashes non-alcoholic orange bitters (optional)
· 1 tsp lime zest
Orgeat – Orgeat is non-alcoholic so you can use it in the Mai Tai Cocktailer and the Mai Tai Mocktailer.
Orange Cuacao – Orange Cuacao is an orange liquor. There are a few ways to replace it.
1. Orange extract is a concentrated flavoring made from the oils of orange peels. It is a potent substitute for orange curacao
2. Start with orange juice, but that isn’t going to get you all the way. Adding orange zest may help. A touch of grenadine might help, but be careful. A little grenadine goes a long way.
3. For a more complex flavor: Boil orange peels and fresh orange juice with sugar, a vanilla bean, and a touch of cinnamon or ginger. Cool the mixture, then strain it.
Simmer in a saucepan for about 15-20 minutes to reduce and thicken the liquid
1 cup of water,
1 cup of sugar, and the
zest of 2-3 oranges
Cool the mixture, then strain out the zest and bottle the resulting orange-flavored simple syrup for use in cocktails.