By LOUISE RHIND-TUTT
Alton Brown's Preferred Non-Alcoholic Spirits For Creative Mocktails
With the mocktail market becoming a fast-growing trend, Alton Brown has recently taken to Instagram to share his favorite non-alcoholic spirits for cocktail-inspired drinks.
Brown's picks include Lyre's Italian Spritz, a vibrant orange-red, bittersweet spritz-style apéritif which is a good alternative to an Aperol Spritz or a Campari and soda.
The premium mix combines the sweetness of orange with the astringent notes of rhubarb and can be mixed with soda water or tonic water to make a non-alcoholic Lyre's Amalfi Spritz.
Brown also loves the citrusy, woodsy, herbal, and bitter Cali Amaro from The Bitter Optimist. The deep-colored mixer can be sipped straight over ice or served with club soda.
The spirit combines botanicals of orange, pink grapefruit, mandarin orange, bay laurel, sage, wormwood, gentian, and dandelion root and can be a base for more complex cocktails.
Brown's list also includes the fully vegan Three Spirit Nightcap, which is made with tree sap, aromatic plants, and ancient remedies and is great on the rocks with a lemon slice.
The mix, containing botanicals of lemon balm, turmeric root, ashwagandha, white willow bark, vanilla, licorice root, ginger, and sleep-inducing valerian, has many uses.
You can use it as the base to make a booze-free Old Fashioned by adding a few drops of Angostura bitters or mix it with chamomile cordial and soda for a highball cocktail.
As for wine alternatives, Brown recommends Proxies Tart, a fragrant, sparkling rosé, and Proxies Blanc Slate, a white varietal with zesty citrus, stone fruit, and a hint of chili.
The Proxies brand blends wine grapes, fruits, teas, spices, and ferments to capture wine's acidity, body, and tannin without alcohol.