Best non-alcoholic drinks bar none
IF YOU’RE TAKING A BREAK FROM LIQUOR, DON’T FEAR, BECAUSE THERE ARE PLENTY OF SWEET AND DELICIOUS DRINK OPTIONS.
FLAVOURED SODAS
You will need a 2 L jar, a couple of plastic bottles, as trainer an dun chlorinated water. Rain water is great, mineral is fine, boiled and cooled will work. Keep the sweetener to water ratio the same :2 L water to½ cup of honey, sugar or other natural sweeteners. Be careful not to use sugar alternatives like S te via, as it is non-ferment able! If you don’ t want as much uncertainty, adding about 4 tb s of whey will assure you a strong fizz after a few days. Here are some of Sharon F lynn’ s favourite flavour combinations.
CUCUMBER AND MINT
• 1 cup mint leaves • 2 chopped cucumbers •1 green apple, chopped • 1 chopped lime • ½ cup of juniper berries
POMEGRANATE &ORANGE
• 1tbs pomegranate molasses or 2 tbs pomegranate arils •1 vanilla bean, split • ¼ cup dried edible rose petals • 4 strips o range peel •1 cup fresh mint sprigs
PEAR AND VANILLA
•1 chopped pear, peel on •1 cup smashed red grapes •5 cm (25g) ginger, skin on, chopped •1 vanilla bean, split • 2 tsp card a mom pods •1 tsp black peppercorns • 2 whole star anise
RHUBARB AND APPLE
• 3-4 stems of rhubarb, chopped • 1 chopped apple • 1 cinnamon quill •1 vanilla bean, split •5 cm (25g) ginger, skin on, chopped • 2tsp card a mom pods
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Combine chosen flavour ingredients with 2 L water and ½cup sweetener in a large jar. Seal your jar so it is air tight and leave it out on your kitchen bench or somewhere you’ ll be able to keep an eye on it for a few days. When the water is showing signs of fizz, open the jar and taste. Check if the sugar shave soured somewhat and the flavour has imparted, and there is an amount of effervescence that wasn’ t there before.
2. Then, in order to encourage more fizz, bottle it .( It’ s a good idea to use a plastic bottle until you get into the rhythm of how fizzy your brews get .) Is train out the fruit, but often leave in the herbs or seeds. If the flavour needs a boost, add a bit more sugar, or a squeeze of lemon juice. Perhaps even a fresh sprig of something— some flowers even. If you do this, let it imbibe for another 24 hours in the bottle. When your wild soda is fizzy, refrigerate it. It will keep for a few weeks but enjoy within a few days of opening as the fizz will wear out quickly once opened. If your brew has lost some fizz by being in the fridge, you can add ad ash of sugar and let its it out on the bench for another day or two in its air tight bottle to coax itback.