These books offer ideas for making delicious beverages with little booze or none at all.
“Mindful Mixology: A Comprehensive Guide to No- and Low-Alcohol Cocktails” by Derek Brown (Rizzoli, $39.95)
Spirits expert Derek Brown gives a fresh take on no- and low-proof drinks. Recipes for beverages such as the vegetal sour Good Guy made with celery juice and the smoky Campfire Old-Fashioned with Lapsang souchong tea prove that these are not just stand-ins for full-proof drinks, but complex, sophisticated cocktails that stand alone. You also can explore new flavors in essays from bartenders, spirits experts and distillers.
“Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You’re Not Drinking for Whatever Reason” by Julia Bainbridge (Ten Speed Press, $22.99)
This book is the culmination of a cross-country road trip where Julia Bainbridge, former Atlanta Magazine food editor, sought out whether one could make an outstanding nonalcoholic drink. The answer is “yes,” and she compiled the drink recipes she discovered into her book. Written for the home bartender, drinks are assigned a rating for level of difficulty. Drinks like Yu the Great, made with basil matcha syrup and coconut milk, and Change of Address, mixing soy sauce, maple syrup and Coca-Cola, are grown-up and delicious.
“Zero Proof: 90 Non-Alcoholic Recipes for Mindful Drinking” by Elva Ramirez (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $22)
Food journalist Elva Ramirez dives into how we socialize and drink. From the history of temperance to the mocktail and zero-proof drinks of today, she tracks the evolution of drinking in moderation. Recipes, accompanied by vivid photography, are organized by categories, including bright and refreshing, fruity and floral, vegetal and savory, tangy and tropical, and rich and decadent.
“Free Spirit Cocktails” by Camille Wilson (Chronicle Books, $19.95)
Quench your thirst and tickle your guests’ taste buds with 40 recipes of twists on classics, three-ingredient drinks and batched cocktails, all alcohol-free. Camille Wilson uses easily accessible ingredients with simple instructions for richly flavored syrups to throw a zero-proof party or dazzle yourself with a drink.
“Nixology: Low-to-No Alcohol Cocktails” by Elouise Anders (Smith Street Books, $19.95)
Elouise Anders explains that you don’t need alcohol to make a day special in her book of 60 recipes and fun illustrations by Claudia Frittitta. Learn to make cocktails with care with creative use of ingredients, such as juniper syrup mixed with lime to evoke the flavor of a gimlet. There are plenty of classics along with her inventions, including a “Nogroni” and a boozeless Clover Club.
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