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spirit forward

the Precious Mobster

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Perfect for a business meeting, this cocktail was inspired by a smoked Manhattan. This is a unique NA take on the spirit-forward cocktail that is bound to impress.

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz black tea syrup (recipe below)
  • 1 oz cold-pressed pomegranate juice
  • 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Dash of orange bitters
  • Dash of liquid smoke
  • Orange peel for garnish

Instructions:

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the black tea syrup, pomegranate juice, lemon juice, orange bitters, and liquid smoke to the shaker. Shake the ingredients until well combined and the shaker is cold to the touch. Strain the mixture into a chilled lowball glass. Express the oil from an orange peel over the top of the drink by holding the peel over the drink and giving it a good twist, releasing the oils into the drink. Rub the rim of the glass with the orange peel to release more oil. Drop the orange peel into the drink as a garnish.

The black tea syrup in this recipe provides a rich and flavorful base, while the pomegranate juice adds a sweet and tangy flavor. The lemon juice provides a bright citrus flavor, and the orange bitters add a touch of bitterness to balance the sweetness. Rounding us out, the liquid smoke adds a flavor that mimics the taste of aged spirits, while the orange peel provides a sweet and zesty aroma that complements the smoky flavor.

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Long Island Iced Tea

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A Long Island Iced Tea is traditionally made with vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, and cola, with a splash of lemon juice. To create a lower-alcoholic version, try this recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz lemon juice
  • 1 oz pineapple juice
  • 1 oz cranberry juice
  • 1 oz orange juice
  • 1 oz simple syrup (recipe below)
  • 1 oz cranberry juice
  • 1 oz cola (or club soda)
  • Ice cubes
  • Orange slice and cherry for garnish

Instructions:

Fill a highball glass with ice cubes. Fill shaker with ice. Add all ingredients except the cola. Shake well to mix, then pour the mixture over the ice in your glass. Top with cola. Stir gently, add your garnish, and serve.

This soft Long Island Iced Tea has a similar flavor profile to the classic cocktail, but without all the alcohol. The lemon juice provides tartness, the simple syrup adds sweetness, the cranberry and pineapple juice contribute fruity notes, and the cola provides a bit of fizz and caffeine. Enjoy, and let us know what you think in the comments below!

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Old Fashioned

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This is a new twist on an old fashioned–a cocktail that typically consists of bourbon, orange peel, bitters, and cherry.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz brewed black tea
  • 3/4 oz unsweetened cranberry juice
  • 1/2 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 oz pure maple syrup (or agave syrup)
  • 2-4 dashes of aromatic bitters (Fee Brothers or similar)
  • Orange peel & Luxardo maraschino cherry, for garnish

Instructions:

Brew the black tea ahead of time, letting it chill until it’s time to make your drinks.

In a double old fashioned glass filled with ice cubes (or one large cube) and add the tea. In a shaker, add the cranberry juice, orange juice, syrup, and bitters. Gently shake to mix. Strain the mixture into your glass with tea. Express the orange peel over the drink to release its essential oils, then use it to garnish the drink. Add cherries as desired. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Ideas to Modify:

To enhance the flavor and complexity of the mocktail, you could try infusing the black tea with some herbs or spices, such as cinnamon, cloves, or cardamom, before mixing it with the other ingredients. Or, consider using a different type of juice, such as pomegranate or grapefruit juice, to replace the cranberry juice, which can add a unique flavor to the drink. Instead of using maple syrup, you could try using honey or a honey syrup, which can add a floral note to the mocktail. To give the drink a smoky flavor that’s reminiscent of a traditional Old Fashioned, you could try using lapsang souchong tea instead of black tea, which has a smoky flavor due to its drying process over pine wood fires.

This non-alcoholic Old Fashioned has a fruity, sweet-tart flavor with a slightly bitter finish. The black tea is used instead of bourbon, giving the cocktail a rich taste in lieu of the alcohol. The unsweetened cranberry juice provides a tart fruity flavor, the orange juice provides a citrus flavor, and the maple syrup balances the flavors with sweetness and dark sugar notes. The bitters provide an aromatic quality that is typical of an Old Fashioned.