Those hot summer days call for an easy-to-make refreshing drink. Boy, how I found myself missing a botanical gin & tonic when I first cut out the alcohol! Luckily, I’ve discovered so many non-alcoholic gin substitutes that I can quickly quench that thirst. As a point of reference, I used to drink a clean London dry gin with cardamom bitters, St-Germain’s elderflower liqueur, and some premium tonic. That was my go-to G&T. Yum! So, if those flavors sound impressive to you, I think you’ll love these recipes.
L: the set-up for the NA Citrus & Tonic
R: A Happy Traveler vintage travel bar set-up to serve the NA Citrus & Tonic from a repurposed camera bag
NA Citrus & Tonic
- 2 oz Wilderton Lustre (see review in a previous post here)
- 1 oz Citrus Passion Cocktail Mixer from Portland Syrups
- 5 oz/150 ml Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic Water
Pour all ingredients over ice and stir.
L: A Happy Traveler vintage travel bar set-up to enjoy Gin-free &T
R: Kim tries her skills at creating her own gin-alternative at home
Gin-free & T
- 2 oz DHOS Gin Free
- 2 dashes Scrappy’s Cardamom Bitters (note that this brand does contain alcohol, but with the ratio of bitters to other liquids, this drink is considered non-alcoholic by U.S. guidelines. If you prefer a non-alcoholic bitter, experiment with the flavors of All the Bitter)
- 5 oz/150 ml Fever Tree Premium Indian Tonic
Pour all ingredients over ice and stir.
Each person’s palate and drinking preferences are unique, and I’d like to share my experience with DHOS. Unlike other gin alternatives I’ve tried, DHOS doesn’t have a medicinal aroma or a flat taste. While I was initially advised not to consume these alternatives on their own, the first impression is often the smell. And as a fan of the juniper berry kick in my gin, DHOS was a perfect match.
The team at DHOS had experience distilling full-proof gins and whiskeys (under the label Ransom). So, they decided to leverage that craftsmanship into blending ingredients without the output of alcohol. Therefore, this product does not utilize an alcohol-removed method. Being a small farm and distillery in Oregon, they are very conscientious about clean farming and are certified clean and Pesticide-Free by the Clean Label Project. You’ve cut out the alcohol, so let’s not start drinking pesticides. Are you with me?
A few months back, I got curious about making my own gin alternative at home. After finding a recipe in the book Zero: A New Approach to Non-Alcoholic Drinks and grabbing my trusty sous vide, I went off to the store to pick up a bunch of ingredients. Juniper berries, coriander seeds, lemon, fennel seeds, cinnamon sticks, ginger, star anise, angelica root, cardamom seeds – the list goes on! I popped into a cute little apothecary shop to find everything, as I figured my local supermarket might not have it all. It was pretty fun gathering up a little bit of this and a whole lot of that. I won’t lie; the cost of all the ingredients did add up, but as soon as I started mixing those juniper berries, I couldn’t help but crave the smell of gin. It’s just so good!
Putting everything into a vacuum-sealed bag and setting it in a water bath with my sous vide was a breeze, but I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. It tasted pretty good, but I needed to tweak a few things to match my taste better. That’s when I stumbled upon some pre-made gin alternatives, like DHOS, that hit the spot. The cost of buying a bottle of DHOS versus making my own ended up being pretty similar, and let’s be real – I was over all the experimenting. DHOS had already done the hard work, and I was happy to kick back and enjoy their delicious alternative!
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Sober Curator Pro Tip: We know it’s not the holidays, but they’ll be here before you know it. Check out this previous post that features the recipe book Zero mentioned above and so many more: Sober Gift Guide Alcohol-Free Recipe Books & NA Brands (thesobercurator.com)
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