zero proof

Shirley Temple

Ingredients

6 oz Canada Dry Zero Sugar Ginger Ale
1 oz grenadine
Luxardo cherry


Directions

Fill a glass with ice. Add ginger ale. Top with grenadine and garnish with a cherry.


Notes

Ok, for a lower sugar drink, this is great! I got hooked on the zero sugar line starting with A&W Root Beer. I tried the ginger ale on a business trip and was equally impressed (or scared) by how much it tastes like real soda. I was concerned that the syrup and diet soda would clash somehow but not at all. (The zero Sugar Sunkist is great too.)

Shirley Temples are traditionally made with ginger ale, but 7-Up is a common alternative. You can also add lime, depending on the proportion of soda and syrup used, but this is an easy ratio to work with.

 
 

Thai Iced Lime Tea (Cha Manao)

Credit: Pailin Chongchitnant, Hot Thai Kitchen

Ingredients

2 tbsp Thai tea leaves
1 cup boiling water
1 tbsp sugar or 3/4 oz 2:1 clear syrup
juice from 1/2 a lime
ice


Directions

Brew tea for 5 minutes. Strain, ideally with a French press and then through a pour-over coffee filter to catch the tea dust. Let the tea cool, then mix with lime and sweetener and pour over ice.


Notes

This is a revelation! I love classic Thai iced tea with sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk, but it’s rich. I was hesitant I’d appreciate this lime version with no creamy element but it’s so bright and refreshing! I tried it with sugar so I could gauge how sweet I wanted it, but next time I’d use syrup as it blends easier.

 
 

Ginger Shot

Credit: Lisa Bryan, Downshiftology

Ingredients

1/4 cup chopped ginger, washed (no need to peel)
1/4 cup Harmless Harvest or Trader Joe’s coconut water
1/3 cup lemon juice
pinch cayenne

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a blender or Nutribullet and strain, pressing as much juice out of the remaining pulp as possible.

Notes

Ok, this is always going to be in the refrigerator. It’s easy to make a double batch. An immunity boost, good for digeation, and helps with sugar cravings! It helps to use fresh, juicy ginger root.

 
 

London Fog

Ingredients

Hot

1 cup water
1 bag Earl Grey tea
1/2 oz 2:1 simple syrup
1/4 tsp Penzeys Vanilla Extract (either single-strength or Mexican)

Iced

1 cup water
1 bag Irish Breakfast tea
1/2 oz 2:1 simple syrup
1 oz Vanilla Nupod Creamer

Directions

Hot

Brew tea. Add the simple syrup to the tea. Add the vanilla to the milk separately, warm, froth, and add to the tea.

Iced

Brew tea. Add the simple syrup to the tea. Pour over ice. Top with creamer.

Notes

My son loves the iced version, and I love the hot one. So easy to make!

 
 

Turmeric Tea

Credit: Lisa Bryan, Downshiftology

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
few grinds black pepper
1 tsp honey


Directions

Add water, lemon juice, turmeric, and black pepper to a pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and add honey.


Notes

So, after indulging in all the things on New Year’s Eve, I woke up feeling nauseated. I made this and immediately felt better! Next time I’d try adding the lemon at the end, so it doesn’t simmer so long. Also it’s important to strain this. So comforting and a beautiful color.

 
 

Turkish Coffee

Credit: Merve

Ingredients

1 tbsp Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi Turkish Coffee
1/4 cup water
1 cardamom pod


Directions

Mix coffee and water in a Turkish coffee pot (cezve). Break open the cardamom pod and add the seeds to the pot. Heat on high heat until boiling and foamy. Pour half the coffee mixture into a cup. Bring the remaining half of the coffee mixture to a boil again, then pour that into the cup as well.


Notes

A Turkish coworker taught me how to make this over a video call, and then we enjoyed our coffee together! It’s the only coffee I can drink with no cream or sugar. It’s especially fun to sip it in a double-walled espresso glass.

 
 

Greek Frappe

Credit: Ken's Greek Table

Ingredients

1 tsp (rounded) Nescafe instant coffee
2 tsp (rounded) sugar
2 3/4 oz water
1 oz milk
6-7 ice cubes


Directions

Mix coffee, sugar, and 3/4 oz water in the bottom of a glass, and froth with a milk frother for 30 seconds. (You can also shake this in a mason jar.) Add ice cubes, remaining water, and milk.


Notes

This is quick, refreshing, and well-balanced. Fantastic! I can’t decide if I want to sip it from a straw or the glass. There’s a thick foam on top, and I stirred it up so it was mostly mixed into the drink with a thin layer on top. And it’s so fun to use instant coffee :-) I have no idea how I came upon this recipe but so glad I did!

 
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Grenadine Soda

★ Original Cocktail ★

Ingredients

1 oz grenadine
6 oz sparkling water
3-5 dashes Angostura Bitters


Directions

Build in a collins glass over ice.


Notes

So refreshing! I had just done the grenadine and La Croix when my husband suggested adding the bitters. Makes all the difference. Next time I might try adding a lime wedge.

 
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Iced Green Tea Latte

Credit: Namiko Hirasawa Chen, Just One Cookbook

Ingredients

2 tsp matcha (green tea powder)
1 oz hot water
8 oz milk
1/2 oz 2:1 clear syrup
ice


Directions

Sift the matcha into a small bowl, add the hot water, and blend with a small frother. Add the clear syrup. Pour that mixture into a large glass filled with ice. Froth cold milk in a separate container, and add it to the glass.


Notes

Refreshing and vibrant! I’ve always wanted to make this drink at home, and Nami’s recipe is foolproof! I used unsweetened soy milk, so I added 1 oz syrup. It’s a reminder of why it’s important to have a syrup that just adds sweetness but no flavor, so nothing competes with the matcha.

 
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Egg Cream

Credit: Serious Eats

Ingredients

1 oz Fox's U-bet Chocolate Syrup
1 1/2 oz whole milk
5 oz Canada Dry Club Soda


Directions

Pour the chocolate syrup in a tall glass, followed by the milk. Slowly pour in the club soda water and stir vigorously.


Notes

I had such high hopes for this—and they were justified!! It’s rich chocolate milk with some fizz. The recipes for this drink vary widely—and many have way more milk—but this one totally works. The Serious Eats recipe called for 6 oz club soda, but I used a bit less because I was worried my rocks glass wasn’t big enough.

 
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Passion Fruit Spritz

★ Original Cocktail ★

Ingredients

4 oz Pineapple Bubbly
1 oz passion fruit syrup


Directions

Build in a glass with a rock of ice.


Notes

Nailed it! So refreshing—it has the feel of a virgin mimosa but the passion fruit makes it more interesting. My husband was making breakfast tacos for us on a late Saturday morning, and I thought it warranted a festive drink. I was building on the momentum of a fresh bottle of passion fruit syrup and just guessed on the ratio. And in the latest news: pineapple Bubly is officially my favorite fizzy water.

 
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Banana Milk

Ingredients

1 frozen banana
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tsp sugar
1/16 tsp Penzey’s Vietnamese Cinnamon
a few drops saline solution
1-2 ice cubes


Directions

Blend and serve.


Notes

This tastes like a lighter banana milkshake. Easy to drink and great for the kiddo’s breakfast.

 
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Cereal Milk

Credit: Momofuku

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups Corn Flakes
3 cups cold whole milk
3/4 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt


Directions

Toast the Corn Flakes on parchment paper at 300 degrees for 15 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool, then put them in a pitcher with the milk and cream. Let everything steep for 20 minutes at room temperature. Strain out the cereal, gently pressing on it to release any extra liquid, without pushing the cereal through the strainer. Add the brown sugar and salt to the strained milk.


Notes

So, this is so amazing. You make this hoping it meets your expectations, and it surpasses them. The toasted Corn Flakes come through strong, with just enough added sweetness from the brown sugar. I could sip this plain, but look forward to trying it in a milk punch. Turning this into ice cream would be pretty freaking awesome, or using it in eggnog. I made a 1/2 recipe, which yielded about 2 cups of liquid.


Update

I swapped out the cream for all whole milk, and it tastes even better I think. It’s more versatile since people could just have it straight or spiked.

 
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Hot Chocolate (European Style)

Credit: Alice Medrich, Fine Cooking

Ingredients

2 1/2 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup whole milk
pinch of salt
whipped cream


Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate, salt, and boiling water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. When it begins to simmer at the edges, whisk in the milk and continue to cook until steaming hot, ideally no more than 180°F. Just before serving, whisk to a froth. Serve in small cups with whipped cream.


Notes

Ok, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to the hot chocolate from Les Deux Magots in Paris. I’ve tried 1 oz chocolate to 1 cup milk and it wasn’t as rich. I’ve also tried adding cornstarch, which certainly thickened it but not in the right way. David Lebovitz’s recipe uses the same ratio of liquid to chocolate, but replaces the water with all milk. I might need to try that next time!

 
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Cereal Milk Café au Lait

Ingredients

2 oz cereal milk
6 oz coffee


Directions

Froth hot cereal milk in a mug, then add hot coffee.


Notes

When I started drinking this hot, it tasted like a nice mug of milk and coffee, but I couldn’t taste the cereal milk unless I spooned froth off the top. However, when it cooled down a bit, the Corn Flakes came though. It’s also a nice proportion of fat, as this cereal milk is 1 part cream, 4 parts milk. In the future, I’d save the cereal for drinking in mixed drinks with alcohol that enhances the flavor—such as American Honey, Mellow Corn, or maybe even Biscotti liqueur—as I think coffee mutes the flavor too much.

 
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Orgeat Lemonade

Credit: Serious Eats

Ingredients

1 oz lemon juice
2 oz orgeat
3 oz water


Directions

Shake and strain over ice.


Notes

Ok, this is somewhere between awesome and amazing. The almond and lemon pair so well together! Tart and refreshing, but with enough sweetness, too. And the measurements are so easy. I would have been drinking this all summer had I known about this recipe, but hey, does it ever get too cold for lemonade in California?

 
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