Mocktails in the Garden of Eden

Eden Mixologist, Charlie Foreman

A friend of mine sent me a tip to check out the spirit-free program at Eden. She had read my write-up on Entente and said Eden was doing equally mind-blowing things in the non-alcoholic arena. I’m always up for a mind-altering experience so I booked an afternoon session with their Beverage Director Alex Rydzewski and Mixologist Charlie Foreman. One of the cooler features of Eden is their onsite urban garden, which I had an opportunity to tour with Executive Chef Devon Quinn. The majority of Eden’s produce comes from local farms and purveyors but the greenhouse gardens allows them to grow an impressive variety of heirloom herbs, fruits and vegetables year-round.

Executive Chef Devon Quinn giving me a tour of Eden’s onsite garden.

Back at the bar, I discussed Eden’s beverage philosophy with Alex and Charlie. Their mission is to create beverage offerings that compliment Chef Devon’s culinary ethos of eating local while also tapping into global flavors. I sampled three of their zero-proof cocktails and was very much impressed by the level of complexity in each drink. Alex said his main inspiration when creating zero-proof drinks is to replicate the essential flavors of classic cocktails and spirits using non-alcoholic ingredients. For example, lapsang souchong tea can be used to mimic the smokey notes of a peaty Scotch or Mezcal. This is a very thoughtful approach as it allows one to enjoy a non-alcoholic replica of the real thing without feeling like they’re missing out.

Beverage Director Alex Rydzewski and Mixologist Charlie Foreman at the Bar at Eden

Alex and Charlie were kind enough to provide me with an easy zero-proof cocktail you can make at home. The Sanguine Sling consists of blood orange juice, ginger beer and honey syrup infused with rosemary from their onsite garden. You can swap out the blood orange juice for orange, tangerine, grapefruit or any other citrus juice. I would also recommend visiting Eden and trying the two other zero-proof offerings that I have detailed below. The Canela Noir is indeed a mind-blowing experience.

Sanguine Sling

• 2 oz blood orange Juice (or citrus juice of choice)

• 1 oz rosemary honey syrup (see below for instructions)

• 1/2 oz lime juice

• ginger beer

• rosemary sprigs (optional for garnish)

Mix blood orange juice, rosemary honey syrup and lime juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with a rosemary sprig, if using.

Rosemary Honey Syrup

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup honey

• 3 rosemary sprigs

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the rosemary sprigs and steep for 20 minutes. Add the honey to the saucepan, stir to combine and allow to sit overnight. Remove the rosemary sprigs or strain the the honey syrup into a clean container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Canela Noir

The Canela Noir takes its inspiration from horchata, a sweet, cinnamon-flavored Mexican rice beverage. Alex and Charlie make a rice milk from toasted black rice then infuse it with fermented black limes, cinnamon, sugar and house-made vanilla. The final drink gets a squeeze of lime juice and a black salt rim. The Canela Noir is definitely reminiscent of horchata but with a richer caramel flavor. I absolutely loved it and if you’re a horchata freak like I am, you will too.

Forbidden Fruit

The Forbidden Fruit tastes like an autumn hayride in an apple orchard with a cozy bonfire burning nearby. Apple cider is infused with smoky lapsang souchong tea and a non-alcoholic apple spice syrup from Liquid Alchemist (this stuff tastes like the yummy sweet syrup that drips from a freshly baked apple pie). The Forbidden Fruit can be enjoyed hot or cold but either way, it’s your reward for venturing out on a winter night.