Hosting wine dinners here at The Storm Cellar is one of our favorite things we do. It’s our time to share our Colorado-grown white and rosé wines, paired alongside the cuisine of some of the Western Slope’s best chefs. It’s so enjoyable to pair locally grown wine with locally grown and raised, in-season bounty, when you live in a place like the North Fork Valley, the organic farming hub of our state.
This past summer, we once again hosted our friends Mirasol Gomez and Nicole Sacchitella of the Forage Sisters for a multi-course, outdoor asado-style dinner, right outside our front door. The two of us paired their seasonal cuisine with a selection of our brand-new wine releases, but as always, we offered a spirit-free pairing option.
Over the years, we’ve prided ourselves on offering a non-alcoholic cocktail pairing for our guests, from moments here at the tasting room to our ticketed, multi-course dinners. Our philosophy is that if we can craft a balanced, delicious wine, then we can also apply the same care, intention, and practices to create beautiful, complex drinks without alcohol.
This Dry January, we’re sharing a few of our favorite tips on how to make better booze-free drinks, as well as photos of the non-alcoholic pairings from the Summer Asado on the Mesa this past July, captured beautifully by Paula B. Photography.
Jayme’s years of cocktail development as a freelance recipe creator and award-winning blogger on her site, Jayme Grows Drinks, have provided her a broad palate, given her a repertoire of flavor profiles, and honed her expertise in creating eye-catching, balanced drinks, both spirit-forward and non-alcoholic, alike. Here are a few of her tried-and-true tips for making better zero-proof cocktails.
1. Bring on the bitter and the tannic.
Think about making a strong-brewed tea or incorporating a bitter amaro-like, non-alcoholic spirit. Just like in many boozy cocktails, bitterness can bring a flavor-and-texture backbone. Why bitterness and tannins? When you have a non-alcoholic cocktail that has an element of bitterness or tannins, the resulting drink not only tastes more complex, but it also slows your sipping down. The drink becomes more than just the typical “fruit juice and soda” mocktail, one that lingers on.
Tannins in a non-alcoholic drink can also provide a structure that is crucial in a pairing situation. Take Cabernet Sauvignon, for example. The tannins can often seem harsh and abrasive, but when that wine is served with a juicy ribeye or grilled root vegetables, the tannins in the wine soften against stronger, more intense components like fat and char.
2. Don’t 86 the sugar.
Make a few simple syrups and infuse them with seasonal fruits and herbs. Just a small amount adds texture, flavor, and depth to your non-alcoholic drink. When we worked in the restaurant industry, we encountered so many instances when a guest would ask for a “skinny Margarita” or ask that the simple syrup be left out. Those resulting drinks were almost undrinkable because of their high acidity. At that point, the cocktail is no longer a Margarita; it’s an imbalanced, enamel-peeling acid bomb.
Simple syrups are your best friend in your kitchen, whether you’re on or off the wagon. They are an amazing way to capture seasonal ingredients and preserve their flavors for an extended period in a way that is very easy and quick.
3. Remember the acid balance.
Acid is your friend. Keep fresh lemons and limes on hand and use them to bring a bright kick of flavor and brightness. Drinks with acidity are sessionable, meaning they are refreshing and encourage another sip or, perhaps, another bite of food. Acid is also crucial in a food-pairing situation, as it cuts through richer proteins and heavier sauces.
Two other great options to bring acidity to a drink are using either verjus or a shrub (drinking vinegar). Verjus is the pressed juice from underripe grapes and has become more commonly available. We love incorporating this centuries-old, sour beverage to add a more subtle acid profile to both wine-based cocktails and spirit-free drinks. Shrubs, along with simple syrups, are great ways to preserve seasonal flavors. Vinegar and sugar are great extractors, and vinegar, in particular, has an exceptionally long shelf-life and provides a tart, refreshing component to a non-alcoholic cocktail.
4. Think TEXTURE.
Alcohol imbues weight and provides texture to cocktails, so to make a complex and compelling cocktail, sans spirits, you have to make up for that lost weight, somehow. Strong-brewed tea, kombucha, or a well-made spirit-free distillate should be in your toolbox. What are some other ways to add extra depth and dimension? Various nut milks, dairy, egg whites or aquafaba, carbonation, simple syrups, gelatin, vegetable purées, or even infused oils are solid choices.
We can totally envision a bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup in a non-alcoholic version of an Old Fashioned!
5. Find some solid non-alcoholic spirits with which to experiment.
Some of our favorite spirit-free distillates are from Wilderton Aperitivo Co., Ritual, Lyre’s, and Seedlip. This category is expanding exponentially, so be on the lookout for local non-alcoholic options in your area. We’ve also enjoyed working with ready-to-drink beverages from Curious Elixirs, Hiyo, Ghia, and Bax Botanicals. At our wine dinners, we tend to use distillates that don’t mimic actual spirits, so that we don’t inadvertently cause someone who is triggered by hard spirits to slip up, but we frequently enjoy these options at our house.
6. Take the time to make great garnishes.
Bring out the edible flowers and herbs and garnish unabashedly. Here’s where you can get super creative and add an artistic touch to a non-alcoholic cocktail. Don’t stop with flowers and herbs – fresh or dried fruit, infused salt or sugar rims, decorative ice cubes, and even vegetables can take a drink to an exciting level. We do consume with our eyes first, after all.
7. Think outside of the box.
While we all love delicious, seasonal fruit juices, we use our non-alcoholic cocktails as a means of showcasing all kinds of flavors. Get creative with under-used produce like radishes, snap peas, onion blossoms, or celery. Try out using a spicy simple syrup or juiced, charred carrots – honestly, the list is endless.
More and more wineries, distilleries, and breweries are offering better choices for those who aren’t drinking, giving everyone the chance to enjoy beverages and food together. Join us during the summer season to experience either a curated selection of ready-to-drink non-alcoholic options or, if you’re lucky, one of our original, craft cocktails.
