Mocktails Need Special Ingredients -- Making a Faux Gin

One of my very popular programs currently is Mocktails.  A wonderful program exploring the flavors of herbs that make excellent cocktail flavors and ingredients.  We explore herb infused simple syrups, herb infused teas and juices and traditional cocktail techniques, like muddling to create unique herb flavors for fun entertaining.  Although the program is alcohol-free all the techniques can be used to make true cocktails as well.  If you are interested in attending a Mocktail Program there are several coming up soon.  Check our the program page of the blog for an up to date list:  Scheduled Programs.

Infused Gin Substitute; Juice Gin Substitute; and Lavender Infused Grape juice

In order to make a Mocktail, you must create alcohol substitutes.  Some alcohols can be easily substituted, like water for vodka or grape juice for wine and sparkling water or ginger ale for champagne.  One of those substitutes is a alternative to Gin.  Gin cannot be easily substituted with a simple beverage.  Juniper is a special flavor in Gin along with other herbs so to create a different version of this you must infuse, or steep, the flavor of juniper into other media.

One technique uses fresh fruit, both the juice and peel combined with juniper berries and other spices to create a flavored beverage you can use in numerous Gin themed drinks.

In the photo above the center jar contains a Juice Gin Substitute made with oranges, blood oranges, lemons and grapefruit infused with rosemary, juniper, cardamom and citrus peel to create a subtly bitter infusion that is very similar to real Gin.

Gin Substitute Juice

To create a non-alcoholic gin and tonic you need to craft a complex flavored juice to use to craft the cocktail and you need some citrus or floral bitters to substitute for the bitterness of the quinine you find in the tonic water.

For the juice infusion

• 3 large grapefruits (pink or regular or both)
• 1 lemon
• 3 oranges (blood orange and regular)
• 8 juniper berries
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 sprig rosemary

Other

• Sparkling water or soda water
• ice cubes
• Citrus or Floral Bitters

Instructions

1. Peel off some rind off the grapefruit, lemon and orange. You want about 3 5-inch long peels, one or two of each fruit to add to the bottle.
2. Cut the fruit in half and juice into a bowl, don't worry about the fruit flesh falling in.
3. From the bowl, strain the juice through a sieve to catch the meat.
4. Add the juniper berries, cardamom pods and rosemary sprig to a bottle or other vessel with a lid. Add a peel of each citrus fruit and then pour in the strained juices. Shake well.
5. Infuse overnight or for a couple of days or use right away.
6. To create Mocktail: Combine equal amounts of faux gin - juice infusion and sparkling water over ice and add a dash or two of bitters.