Being a pregnant booze-slinger and mixologist has been a very interesting journey. There has been a lot of smelling and eyeballing, of using my other senses 鈥� other than my taste buds 鈥� to create delicious concoctions. What an amazing journey.
And now we embark on another journey 鈥� a booze-free holiday season.
Now this is a new experience. My inner sommelier would have already stocked up on a few bottles of wine. A couple of bottles of champagne, of course. Some rich and luscious reds. Full-bodied chards and a couple of white Rhone wines for turkey dinner.
Then of course there are the makings of punch, egg nog, mulled wine, buttered rum, caesars, cream liqueurs, a few good whiskies and the ingredients for a few holiday cocktails.
I love getting festive and, in the past, I have thoroughly enjoyed indulging in any number of liquid delights at this time of year, although always in moderation.
So this year, dear reader, is a whole new experience.聽
There are many who don鈥檛 drink for various reasons. My current condition has me sitting on the other side of the fence looking at what that is all about.
I have the pleasure of appearing on Saturday Sips on Global News on Saturday, when you can follow along with my tips for alcohol-free entertaining and a booze-free Christmas.
Let鈥檚 not leave our non-imbibers out in the cold with another season of Ocean Spray cranberry juice. Yawn! Here鈥檚 to exploring just a few of the options for fun zero-proof drinks.
Virgin Caesars are an excellent choice. They鈥檙e full of spice and vitamin C. Add freshly grated horseradish for a fuller, stronger flavour. Load on the pickled condiments. (Optional side of ice cream.)
Punch is a also great non-alcoholic entertainment option. Float some cranberries and blood orange slices around for an extra festive feeling.
Another nice one is to make a shandy with non-alcoholic beer. Mix something like 0.5 Becks or Warshteiner with lemonade and ginger ale, and garnish with a lime wheel and cranberry for flair. It鈥檚 superb in a chilled glass.
The local company Frostbites is your best friend this time of year. They have many lovely syrups that can be mixed in with soda and any number of freshly squeezed juice. With mocktails, balance is a big consideration, so think of putting drinks together that have a good mix of acid, sweet, weight and bubbles.
Iced tea? The tea shop on Cleveland has some lovely teas that can be brewed up and chilled. Try adding some pureed fruit ice cubes and a splash of soda.聽
Spark Kombucha from right here in town is a no brainer. Served in a wine glass with pomegranate seeds, it makes me feel right at home at the grown-ups鈥� table. And it鈥檚 delicious and refreshing.
There are also some great tonic waters out there available at Nesters. Try adding some citrus zest, cucumber, mint or rosemary.
Here at Gillespie鈥檚, we have a line of Boozewitch Shrubs that are perfect for adding a little je ne sais quoi and originality to the likes of raspberry ginger ale, ginger beer or root beer. Try our tamarind pineapple for a rich, full flavour, or chili lime in mango juice with soda, or peach lavender with lemonade. They also make great stocking stuffers.
If you are going to be shaking up some cocktails for friends and family, offering up a non-alcoholic option for designated drivers, women in the child way and other non-imbibers is a classy move. Here is a Boozewitch (yours truly) original that will rock the toques off the elves.
Raspberry Vanilla Sour
In a cocktail shaker combine:
Juice of 陆 a lime
1.5 oz Frostbites Rasberry Vanilla Syrup
1.5 oz egg whites (pasteurized, in a carton, usually on sale at Nesters)
0.25 oz Gillespie鈥檚 Boozewitch Cherry Peach Plum Shrub
1 oz Santa Cruz Raspberry Lemonade (or other complementary juice)
Add ice
Shake hard (like you mean it). Strain into a couple cocktail glass or Collins glass filled with ice. Grate fresh dark chocolate on the top and garnish with a frozen or fresh raspberry. Slurp!
If an alcohol version is desired, add 2 oz Gillespie鈥檚 Lemoncello, Sin Gin or Gastown Shine Vodka. Works well with bourbon or rye too.
