Non-alcoholic cocktail recipe books are as wide-ranging as cocktails themselves. I appreciate the diversity, as sometimes I want to create something new and complex featuring non-alcoholic spirits, and other times I want to create something from what I’ve got in the fridge. Free Spirit Cocktails contains 40 non-alcoholic drink recipes that do not rely on store-bought NA or zero-proof spirits. However, you will need to create a handful of syrups utilizing fruits or herbs. But these are simple to make and contribute a lot to flavor.
The chapters include Spirit-Free Classics, Sparkling, Three Ingredients or Less, Holiday, and Sophisticated Sips. The introduction consists of bar tools to have on hand and the directions for creating a list of infused syrups. Relevant recipes are noted with “make it for a crowd” when the additional instructions are included for batching. I created a few drinks from this book, including Honey, It’s Thyme and Hibiscus Honey. These two concoctions were flavorful and balanced. Served in the appropriate vintage glassware (always!), I felt as though I were having a special treat.
Since you know I enjoy experimenting with NA cocktails and I do have access to many NA spirits, you may be asking why I would use this book. I was recently curating a vintage travel bar to send to Costa Rica. My sister owns and runs vacation rentals in a unique spot of the Costa Rican jungle. She’d like to be able to ‘loan out’ a travel bar for her guests to create their cocktails in their casitas. Being a place without access to NA spirits (just NA beers), this book was the perfect starting point to inspire the travel bar set-up. I’d curate all the vintage bottles, bar tools, and glassware needed to create and share a specific cocktail, all contained within a vintage case. With special tagging to describe the recipe, the travel bar would make a nice add-on to the guests’ stay. Great idea, isn’t it? So I sampled a few recipes and realized great cocktails can be created without NA spirits!
Camille Wilson, the author, has a blog entitled The Cocktail Snob, which helps people create simple recipes for enjoying happy hour at home. She, too, wants to ensure that all cocktails are served in beautiful glassware. It’s all a part of the experience, isn’t it?
Happy Every Hour NA Cocktail Recipe Book Sobees Score: 4 out of 5
THE HAPPY TRAVELER – VINTAGE TRAVEL BARS: The Artist & Curator, Kim Parsley, lives near Seattle, Washington.
With an education in Interior Design, her career path has led her to fulfill many roles in interior architecture. Now retired, she leverages her design skills towards the curation of vintage travel bars as well as collecting and selling vintage barware.
Kim is also a contributor to multiple magazines, including The Sober Curator. She writes reviews and articles for the Happy Every Hour section, including non-alcoholic spirit reviews and recipe contributions.
When not in the studio or traveling, she and her husband spend many weekends off-the-grid hiking and experimenting with new cocktails at their cabin in the woods of the North Cascades.
HAPPY EVERY HOUR: Welcome to the hub for all things NA, featuring reviews of alcohol-free beers, ciders, wines, spirits, RTDs (ready-to-drink), NA recipes, and so much more from behind the bar. #becausedrunkneverlooksgood
TSC LIBRARY: Welcome to The Sober Curator Library! We don’t just read books; we immerse ourselves in literary journeys, tune in on Audible, and craft insightful reviews. Our digital shelves are organized into four genres: #QUITLIT, Addiction Fiction, Self-Help, and NA Recipe Books.
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