Summer Drinks

Join us as we explore the growing trend of N/A cocktails with
health coach and cookbook author Stephanie Meyer
"If you, like I, are enjoying the health benefits of drinking less alcohol, then I think you’ll love having both of these zero-proof cocktails in your repertoire. Both are alcohol-free riffs on easy summer classics."

Welcome to summer cocktail szn!

In the summer, I crave sips that are fresh, sparkling, a little bitter, with a hint of sweet, and maybe some salt and heat too. And if you, like I, are enjoying the health benefits of drinking less alcohol, then I think you’ll love having both of these zero-proof cocktails in your repertoire. Both are alcohol-free riffs on easy summer classics—a margarita and a gin rickey—tarted up with rhubarb simple syrup. Here in Minnesota, we are obsessed with rhubarb for its gorgeous color and how deliciously it shines with berries and citrus. If you can’t find fresh rhubarb, feel free to sub in frozen.

We sourced the zero-proof spirits and bitters from Marigold, a charming local NA bottle shop with both Minneapolis and St. Paul locations. If you live in the Twin Cities, you should definitely swing by one of the stores to chat with the knowledgable staff and sample NA spirits, wines, bitters, and canned cocktails. If you can’t make it to Marigold, you can find them all online.

OK let’s talk about the ice, a key ingredient in cocktails.

Pure & Clear by Minnesota Ice isn't just beautiful (although it is certainly very beautiful). It melts much more slowly than ice from your freezer and that shows up in two important ways: When you shake the cocktail—you’re making it very cold without over-diluting it—and then of course in the glass, as it holds its integrity while you enjoy your cocktail, down to the last sip. For both recipes, I have chosen to use The Shard for its versatility.

Last thought, and then you should dive in and make one or both cocktails—I wrote the recipes for one serving, but you can easily double both the margarita and the rickey or even batch them into a pitcher.

Enjoy!
Rhubarb Simple
Syrup
Some rhubarb simple syrup recipes include citrus and/or warm spices, but because we’re working with NA spirits, which are much more delicate in flavor than their full-proof counterparts, we’re keeping this simple syrup recipe pared down to sweet and lightly tart. If your rhubarb is green and red both, the syrup will be a paler pink color. If your rhubarb is all red, the syrup will be as well. Both are pretty!
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups rhubarb, chopped (fresh or frozen)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • Pinch of salt
Make the syrup:
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients and set over medium-high heat. When mixture boils, turn heat to low and simmer gently for 15 minutes (bit longer if rhubarb was frozen), until rhubarb is tender.
  2. Remove pan from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain rhubarb through a fine-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup. Press gently on the solids to extract as much syrup as you can. Reserve the solids to enjoy as rhubarb compote or to make Strawberry Rhubarb Bars.
  3. Transfer the syrup to a glass bottle or jar and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Gin Rhickey
Zero-proof Rhubarb Gin Rickey

Gin Rhickey
Zero-proof Rhubarb Gin Rickey

Makes 1
Ish London Botanical Non-Alcoholic Spirit is so fragrant—make sure you take the time to smell it when you open it. Wow, right? It smells and tastes just like full-proof gin. The lovely flavor gets a bit lost with tonic, so using sparkling water is the ticket. A classic gin rickey is lime, club soda, and gin, and you could totally do that here and enjoy it, but the rhubarb simple syrup + lemon combination is really special.
Ingredients:
  • Pure & Clear cocktail ice, The Shard (Purchase online HERE or find a retailer near you at our retail page.)
  • 2 ounces Ish London Botanical Non-Alcoholic Spirit
  • 1 1/2 ounces rhubarb simple syrup
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup sparkling water or club soda
  • Lemon slice to garnish (mint leaves are nice too!)
Make the rhickey:
  1. Carefully slide two ice shards into a wine goblet. Add a few more ice shards to a shaker.

  2. Add gin, rhubarb simple syrup, and lemon juice to the shaker. Cover and shake several times, until shaker feels very cold, then strain into goblet. Top with sparkling water and give the drink a little stir. Garnish with a lemon slice or mint leaves. (In the photo, I garnished with a peony petal—a rose petal would be just as lovely!)
Rhubarb Margarita
Zero-proof / Non-alcoholic

Rhubarb Margarita
Zero-proof / Non-alcoholic

Makes 1
Monday Zero Alcohol Mezcal is both lightly smoky and spicy—capsaicin adds the “bite” that alcohol normally would so this definitely reads as a spicy marg. It’s also just-sweet, so while adding sugar into the rim mix might seem unnecessary, it really does add a nice flavor combined with salt and Tajin seasoning. If you don’t want to use Tajin, just use salt and sugar with perhaps a pinch of powdered chipotle.
Ingredients:
  • Pure & Clear cocktail ice, The Shard (Purchase online HERE or find a retailer near you at our retail page.)
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 ounce rhubarb simple syrup
  • 2 1/2 ounces Monday Zero Alcohol Mezcal
  • 2 dashes All The Bitter Alcohol Free Orange Bitters
Garnish the glass:
  1. Combine garnish ingredients in a small, shallow bowl.
  2. Wet 1/2 of the rim of a rocks glass with lime juice or water. Swipe the wet rim through the salt mixture. End result: salt halfway around the glass. If you prefer salt all the way around, go for it.


Make the margarita:
  1. Add a few ice shards to rocks glass. Add a few more ice shards to a shaker.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients to the shaker. Cover and shake several times, until shaker feels very cold, then strain into the glass. Garnish with dried or fresh lime slice. Cheers!
Stephanie A. Meyer is the owner of Project Vibrancy and is a Minneapolis-based health coach, private chef, cookbook author, and cooking instructor. Follow her on Instagram @stephanie.a.meyer or find her recipes on her health food blog, Fresh Tart.