As you’ve now heard a number of times, I organized weddings for two of our daughters recently. While the champagne flowed and we had wonderful Groom’s drinks, lots of wine and an open bar – I gave a lot of thought to providing interesting non-alcoholic alternatives so that people who wanted to hydrate and pace themselves did not have to choose between sparkling water and delicious concoctions.
It turns out that Stanford University and I are on the same track and they have named these drinks EANABs (equally attractive non-alcoholic beverages). I don’t know whether EANABs are making a dent in the over indulgence on campus, but they were a big hit among our guests – mostly enjoyed in between our higher octane offerings.
During four pregnancies, my ‘go-to’ EANAB was cranberry juice and club soda. With the advent of pomegranate juice and pom-blueberry, this option has gotten more interesting. Arnold Palmers, a mix of lemonade and iced tea are a stand-by, as are a range of the delicious herbal and flavored iced teas.
Forget what you are thinking about ginger-ale with sherbet floating in the punch bowl. Here are some popular adult EANABS with personality and sophistication.
Image from Foodviva.com
Virgin Mimosas
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice
Sparkling white grape juice to taste
Garnish with mint leaves or citrus slice
Image from allrecipes.com
Alcohol-Free Mint Julep
¼ cup water
¼ cup white sugar
1 TBS chopped fresh mint leaves
2 cups crushed ice
1/2 cup prepared lemonade
Fresh mint for garnish
Image from HGTV.com
A Peachy Bellini
1 TBS White Peach Puree
1 glass sparkling white grape juice
Image and recipe from thekitchen.com
Non-Alcoholic Sangria
2 cups boiling water
2 black tea bags (or 2 teaspoons loose-leaf tea in an infuser)
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups pomegranate juice
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 orange, sliced into thin rounds
1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
1 lime, sliced into thin rounds
1 apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
3 cups carbonated water
Pour boiling water over tea bags and cinnamon sticks and steep for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and stir in sugar to dissolve.
In a large jar or pitcher, combine tea, cinnamon sticks, pomegranate juice, orange juice, orange, lemon, lime, and apple. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and preferably overnight.
Just before serving, stir in carbonated water. Serve in glasses over ice. Serves 8
Image and recipe from thekitchen.com
Sparkling Rosemary Limeade
1 cup lime juice (from about 6 large limes)
3/4 cup sugar
Peel of 2 limes
Two 4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary, plus more to serve
4 to 6 cups chilled sparkling water
Stir the lime juice with the sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Lower the heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the lime peel and the rosemary sprigs. Simmer for another minute, then turn off the heat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Strain out the lime peel and rosemary and mix with the chilled sparkling water in a sealed jar or bottle. Taste and add more water if you want a lighter flavor.
Serve over ice with a small sprig of rosemary muddled into the drink. Makes eight 5-ounce servings — or more, depending on dilution
Refreshing Elderflower
1 part Elderflower Cordial
10 parts Apple cider
Mint leaves
Pour over ice
Sparkling Elderflower
Muddle six Mint leaves (or to taste) in the bottom of your glass, then add:
4 parts sparkling water
3 parts apple juice or cider
2 parts lime juice
1.5 parts Elderflower cordial
Serve over ice cubes or crushed ice
Image from bonappetit.com, Stephen Lewis photographer
Chai Blossom
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
8–12 oz. club soda
4 whole star anise pods
4 lemon twists
2 chai tea bags
Preparation
Combine tea bags and 1 cup boiling water in a small bowl; cover and let sit 8–10 minutes.
Add sugar; stir to dissolve. Discard tea bags and let cool. Stir chai syrup and lime juice in a pitcher to combine.
Divide among 4 rocks glasses filled with ice and add 2–3 oz. club soda to each. Garnish with anise pods and lemon twists.
Recipe by Juan Coronado of Minibar in Washington, D.C.
Image from Bonappetit.com, Stephen Lewis photographer
Celery Collins
Celery and lemon juice are a refreshing pair in this non-alcoholic take on a Collins.
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup Simple Syrup (see Recipe Index)
1/4 tsp. Bittermens Hellfire Habanero Shrub or Angostura bitters*
8–12 oz. club soda
4 celery stalks, chopped
Preparation
Purée celery and 1/4 cup water in a blender. Strain into a pitcher filled with ice, pressing on solids; discard solids.
Add lemon juice, Simple Syrup, and shrub; stir until cold.
Divide among 4 Collins glasses filled with ice and add 2–3 oz. club soda to each. Garnish with celery stalks.
*Most bitters contain alcohol. For a 100% nonalcoholic drink, use Fee Brothers’ celery bitters. makes 4 servings
Note: Fee Brothers Celery bitters are available 5 oz. for $12.99.
More Ideas for Eanabs:
For great ginger beers, see the ASE article.
Maybe you ‘did’ Drynuary (no drinking in January) and want to extend that into February? Here are more ‘mocktail’ drink recipes: http://www.slate.com
Still haven’t found one that will tickle your taste buds? Here are 14 more recipes including this one using Kombucha; Sparkling Cranberry Kombucha Mocktail.
How to Make Italian Sodas
