I read a post over at the Kitchn, called "A Low-Alcohol, Grown-up Soda", and I was intrigued.
So I gave it a try and guess what? It was pretty good!
It was good enough that I wanted to keep experimenting with it.
Here's why:
-I like having something nice to drink in the evening
-I don't really like soda (too sweet! blergh.)
-I live in Los Angeles, and so it's rare that tea or coffee sound nice in the evening (too hot!)
-I like alcoholic drinks on occasion, but having your regular "nice to drink in the evening" item be alcoholic is bad for so many reasons
It all hinges on the bitters: bitters are alcoholic, but they're alcoholic like vanilla extract is alcoholic, i.e., the alcohol is used to extract nice, strong flavors from the aromatics, and so you use them very sparingly. Bitters are so strong that they're measured by the "dash". So, unless you're doing something extremely odd, you're using such a small amount in your drink that just adding bitters leaves your drink essentially non-alcoholic.
But they add SO much flavor. And for someone like me, who likes bitter better than sweet when it comes to drink, they're just perfect for adding that "little something" to your drink.
So. Here's my recipe for "grown-up soda", sans vermouth.
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| mmm, mango and raspberry! |
Ingredients:
-juice, your favorite kind (I used a mango blend this time)
-seltzer (i.e, soda water. Go ahead and get a flavored kind, if you like, but I recommend one without sugar or sweetners. The juice makes it sweet enough)
-bitters. I used Angostura, but use whatever you like best.
Steps:
1. Add 1/4-1/2 cup juice to your glass. (The more juice you add, the sweeter the final product.) Add ice if you want it colder.
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| dig the Green Dragon glass. |
3. Shake a few dashes of bitters in that glass.
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| Ooh, look at the pretty bitters! |
Hope you enjoy the recipe - and please feel free to share! :)
Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell
2 comments:
This is fun. In our house we call them spritzers. Michael always used to make them for me when I was in medical school and had to study but still wanted to have a fun drink. He is a pro.
I just got into doing water keifer. Totally new to me but you can make your own carbonated drinks, the cream soda and ginger ale we have done have been pretty good.
Erica, this is so funny - a Facebook friend mentioned the water keifer idea as well! I think I might have to try it! (Cream soda sounds especially tempting.)
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