Building A Zero-Proof Bar Cart? Here Are 5 Essential Mixers
Building a zero-proof bar cart essentially involves adding lots of fruity, herbal and floral syrups, juices and flavour accents to the mixology kit which can be punctuated with interesting mixers containing similar citrusy and sweet flavours to ultimately craft complex and layered mocktails. And curating such a bar cart can actually be quite a fascinating activity when it involves working with some rather creative ingredients.
Go beyond tonic waters and classic colas to craft a bar cart with some unsung mixology gems that can add flavourful layers to several mocktail recipes. Think ginger ales, blended waters, citrusy soda pops and more while curating a mocktail ready, zero-proof bar cart complete with stunning flavour accents and artsy garnishes. These are all rather versatile mixers and can come in handy while experimenting with myriad flavour combinations.
Read on below to know more about some of the essential mixers that can be a part of your zero proof bar cart, to unlock the creative potential of your mocktail mixology:
Ginger Ale
One of the most necessary yet often overlooked mixers in contemporary mixology, ginger ale can be an integral part of a zero-proof bar cart. It opens up several mocktail options, especially those which require a touch of spicy, bright fizz. Adding about 45 ml Black And White Ginger Ale or any other premium ginger ale of choice to drinks containing fruity syrups, freshly brewed teas and herbal flavour accents can go a long way in preparing light and fresh mocktails laced with a mild spice. Ginger ale can complement a lot of different flavours in one go, so you can think beyond lime and mint, to craft summer mocktails complete with its zingy spice.
Herbal Infusions
Another element essential to a zero-proof bar cart is herbal infusions which carry the flavours and aromas of ingredients like basil, rosemary, thyme and even lemongrass. Herbs add depth and complexity to mocktails so having in store herbal syrups or herb-infused, aromatised still water can be a useful hack to lace drinks with their aromatic flavours. Think herb infused black tea or oolong tea as essential mixers for crafting a lot of chilled, summertime blends.
Also Read: Home Bar Essentials: How To Organise Bar Carts For Ease And Style
Still Water
Experimenting with different spiced syrups such as cinnamon or cardamom syrups and floral ingredients like hibiscus or rose while crafting mocktails involves extracting flavours from rather delicate ingredients. At such times, adding still water to drinks can go a long way in opening up their flavours. About 45 ml Godawan Estuary Premium Water added to a mocktail containing floral syrups can unravel these sublime subtleties to reveal a light and fresh brunch time non-alcoholic blend. This makes quality still water an excellent addition to your zero-proof bar cart.
Citrus Pops
What lends many mocktails their characteristic lift are citrusy flavours which come in the form of sharply accented citrus syrups and juices or simple citrusy sodas that lend a bubbly touch to non-alcoholic blends. About 50 ml of a mixer like Smirnoff Lemon Pop or any other citrusy flavoured club soda added to mocktails can introduce bright, vibrant flavours in these drinks — balancing out their sweetness or cutting through other heavier ingredients. Such a mixer which brings acidity and fresh textural flourishes can then be added to the bar cart for blending spritzes, punches and other sparkling blends.
Juices, Syrups And Shrubs
While syrups are essentially closer to becoming flavour accents than actual mixers, when combined with juices or simple lemonade concoctions, they have the ability to turn a mocktail around by making room for a lot of creative possibilities. Flavoured syrups like hibiscus, pomegranate or spiced chai can be infused in lime cordial, fruit juices or lemonade which can be used to brighten the flavours of non-alcoholic blends. Store these flavoured syrups or homemade juices in small bottles in the zero-proof bar cart to mix and match them with different juices and teas while crafting versatile mocktails.
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