With the low/no alcohol trend showing no signs of slowing down, we explore the world of mocktails with Marian Beke, leading bartender at The Gibson Bar. Here's his favourite ginger beer mocktail serves to get your creative juices flowing!
Why mocktails?
Mocktails are a non-alcoholic alternative to a cocktail, and with customers increasingly looking for more low/no alcohol alternative they can be a great addition to your venue’s menu.
For customers who do not want to drink alcohol, mocktails are an excellent way of providing your customer with a quality drink, without compromising on flavour or experience. Mocktails can also drive more profit than other soft drinks and are a great option to offer customers at different occasions or times of the day.
As a member of the bar staff, an important part of your role is to serve responsibly and to ensure your customer does not drink alcohol excessively. Mocktails can be a good way of offering customers a non-alcoholic drink as an alternative to alcohol or in between alcoholic drinks.
Marian Beke’s top tips for creating mocktails
- As with cocktails using complimentary flavours is key.
- Get creative with your flavours but also with presentation, for example using unusual glassware or colourful garnishes.
- Use fresh, seasonal and innovative ingredients to entice customers such as local herbs and fruits.
- Often less is more - keep it simple, by using simple ingredients with great flavours.
Creating the Perfect Ginger Beer Mocktail
Ginger beer mocktails have become a favorite serve among bartenders, as a naturally fermented ginger based drink ginger beer is perfect for creating a tasty non-alcoholic alternative. Ginger beer can add extra flavour and is a great complement for many juices or syrups used to create the perfect mocktail.
At The Gibson, there are many seasonal mocktails on offer and quite often enough Marian and his team create customised mocktails on the spot depending on what ingredients are at hand and what flavour the person is looking for, often incorporating ginger beer mocktails.
It is important to recognise many people these days want to go out and just have a good time with friends but for many reasons they can't drink. Marian firmly believes it is important to make these people feel just as special as other people in your venue and spend the same attention to detail and craftsmanship creating their mocktails as you would for cocktails.
The ginger beer mocktails Marian has created below are all based on local flavours used in The Gibson:
London Mule
- 1 Lime squeezed
- 15ml Elderflower cordial
- 30ml Apple juice
- Pinch of pink pepper
- 5 leaves of marjoram leaves
- Ginger beer
METHOD
Pour all ingredients into the mug/glass
Try to use fresh ingredients where possible
Top up with ginger beer.
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Clover Fizz
- 20ml Fresh lemon juice
- 40ml Fresh gherkin juice
- 2 Bar spoons of quince jam
- 2 Dashes orange bitters
- 3 Mint leaves
- Ginger beer
METHOD
Pour all ingredients into a shaker except the ginger beer
Shake for 6-8 seconds until quince jam is dissolved
Strain into the glass
Top up with ginger beer.
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Indian Summer
- 15ml Fresh lemon juice
- 3 Bar spoons of pumpkin jam
- Handful of fresh wheat grass
- 10ml Honey syrup
- Ginger beer
METHOD
Shake the ingredients
Strain into a glass
Top up with ginger beer.
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Orchard Ball
- 20ml Lime juice
- 0.5cm Lemon grass
- 2 Limes leaves
- 1 Bay leaf
- 30ml Pear juice
- 10ml Sugar syrup
- Ginger beer
METHOD
Pour all ingredients into shaker except ginger beer
Fill the shaker with fresh ice cubes
Shake for 6-8 seconds
Top up with ginger beer.
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Samurai's Tea
- 15ml Lap-sang tea syrup
- 20ml Fresh lime juice
- 2 Purple shiso leaves
- Pinch Sancho pepper
- 25ml Cantaloupe melon purée
- Ginger beer
METHOD
Make a tea by boiling water and macerating tea for 3-4 minutes.
Strain the tea and mix with 1/1 ratio of caster sugar.
Allow the sugar to dissolve.
This is now your lapsang syrup.
Make cantaloupe puree by mashing scooped melon and cut into cubes.
Add sugar syrup.
Blend together with a hand blender.
Place all ingredients in a shaker and shake.
Strain.
Top with ginger beer.
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