When you think of Valentine’s Day, what pops into your head? For most people, it’s probably flowers and chocolate. While there’s nothing wrong with that, I really wanted to put a new spin on the traditional Valentine’s Day theme. Plus, my taste-tester really isn’t a big fan of floral or fruit and chocolate, so I needed to come up with different mocktail ideas.
When it comes to the main flavor, I wanted something that would remind people of innocent love. For this, I turned to manga. In Japan, it seems like first kisses are associated with strawberries or lemons. In fact, a survey back in 2009 survey done by Oricon found that people 25 and below associated strawberries with their first kiss while those older than 25 associated lemon with their first kiss! Why? Hard to say. Perhaps the younger people felt their first kisses were sweet while the older people viewed their first kiss memory as something a bit sourer?
I wanted an interesting flavor profile for the strawberry base. While I could have simply gone for macerated strawberries, I decided to try out Som Cordials Strawberry Thai Basil that I found at a local Non-alcoholic spirits shop. I was really expecting something sweet, slightly tangy, and a bit herby.
If I had read a bit more carefully, I would have noticed that the label said vinegar cordial. So as you would expect, it was a lot tangier than I expected, making it a bit difficult to build cocktails around this strong flavor profile. To be fair, I had been interested in creating some shrubs, which is a vinegar-based fruit cordial so I assume it would taste close to the Som Cordials.
Having tried a few different combinations, I discovered that a bit of peach syrup mellowed out the tanginess of the vinegar. After that, I added a dash of some Trader Joe’s chili pepper sauce and a bit of lime juice, and everything finally came together. The chili pepper sauce really elevates the drink to a new level and it still ties into the theme of love. After all, love can be fiery! Check out the recipe below and try it out yourself. I love seeing people try out my recipes so make sure to use the hashtag #mocktailista on Instagram!
Chipotle Strawberry Peach Spritz
Ingredients
Instructions
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In a cocktail mixer, add the lime wedges and muddle
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Top the cocktail mixer with ice. Add all ingredients except the club soda.
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Put the topper on the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 10-15 minutes.
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Top high ball or 16 oz. mason jar with ice then strain the mixture from the cocktail mixer.
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Top high ball or mason jar with club soda. Garnish with a lime wedge.