Mary Tilson on Two Books for the Budding Bartender

 

Turmeric in a cocktail? Yep. According to Oakland-based writer Jennifer Newens, author of a slim and sexy blue hardback called Monday Night Mocktails (the Collective Book Studio, October 2024), even neophytes can craft delicious mocktails that are innovative and easy to make. Along with the tried-and-true classics she details how to make adult drinks with zero-proof distilled spirits with names like Spiced Mango Mocktail, Strawberry Shrub Mocktail, and a Pineapple Bebida rimmed with chile salt. Warning. These spirits are not designed for straight drinking. I tried one and it tasted like the glop they give you before a colonoscopy. Once they hit the mix, however, they approximate the taste and essential zing of an alcoholic cocktail.

I chose to mix up the Turmeric Lemon Pop: zero-proof vodka, fresh lemon juice, turmeric simple syrup, and sugar infused with lemon zest for the rim. Delicious. It’s inspired me to look for other cooking spices to play with.

 

 

Also an inspiring read is Spirits Distilled: A Guide to the Ingredients Behind a Better Bottle (Westwood Press, November 2024) by former Revival Bar + Kitchen mixologist Nat Harry, who has made a name for himself as a spirits judge and educator and has racked up quite a nice set of endorsements for this book from luminaries in the field. He talks about terroir, the plants from which the spirits are made, how they are farmed, and what goes into making a quality drink. The instructions on how to distinguish a worthy thoughtfully crafted spirit vs the slop slung out by large corporate manufactures is priceless.

—Mary Tilson, host of KPFA Radio’s “America’s Back 40: the Hicks from Coast to Coast

 

TURMERIC LEMON POP

Adapted from Monday Night Mocktails by Jennifer Newens, photography by Alyson Brown, copyright 2024, the Collective Book Studio. Used with permission

Turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory properties, which make it a good choice to drink during winter cold season. It is a gorgeous deep-yellow color, which adds to the stunning appearance of this mocktail.

Makes 1 mocktail

• Sugar, for the rim
• Finely grated lemon zest, for the rim
• Lemon wedge, for the rim
• 2 ounces/60 ml high-quality zero-proof vodka
• 1½ ounces/45 ml fresh lemon juice
• 1 ounce/30 ml Turmeric Simple Syrup*
• Lemon twist, for garnish

To prepare the cocktail glass, sprinkle sugar and lemon zest onto a small plate. Rub together with your fingers until the mixture is tinted yellow and fragrant. Wipe the lemon wedge around the rim of a martini glass, then dip the rim into the sugar mixture.

In a cocktail shaker, add the vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon wheel.

To make a basic simple syrup, combine 1 cup/200 g granulated sugar with 8 ounces/240 ml water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container. Makes 12 ounces/360 ml.

*To make the Turmeric Simple Syrup: After boiling the simple syrup above, add 1 tablespoon turmeric powder. Let stand for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, before using.