If you’re taking a break from the booze this time of year, there’s no need to survive on lemon, lime and bitters alone. Ask (with confidence!), and your bartender won’t hesitate to mix you up something on the softer side, but there is a bit of technique involved in creating a truly interesting non-alcoholic cocktail.
“The key to a truly great a non-alcoholic cocktail lies in balance,” says co-owner of Sydney soda and cocktail bar PS40, Michael Chiem, who supplies a range of hand-crafted sodas to restaurants and bars such as Firedoor, Archie Rose distillery and Bennelong.
“There should be a sweet/sour/bitter and sometimes salty balance,” says Chiem. “Though alcohol is not always necessary, it is a handy carrier of flavour.” So, when it comes to skipping the hard stuff, it’s worth spending time thinking about layering flavours and using the best ingredients you can find, as you would any regular cocktail.
Here, Chiem and partner Thor Bergquist show us how to mix up a couple of their best non-alcoholic drinks for dry July. Drink up.
PS40, shop 2, 40 King St, Sydney, NSW, ps-soda.com; Mon-Sat 4pm-midnight.