A spicy cocktail that shines without booze

 Allison Robicelli

One of the sillier concerns I had before becoming sober was that I’d never drink anything interesting again. Mind you, this was over a decade ago, before the terms like “sober-curious” or “mindful drinking” entered our collective vocabulary. Then, asking a barkeep for something nonalcoholic meant an unholy mocktail made with every mixer behind the bar.

This concern, of course, was unfounded. There are far more nonalcoholic drinks on this planet than alcoholic ones; we’re just living in a society that’s been refusing to take them seriously. There was no reason I couldn’t have been drinking cola with a critical eye, or taking the time to appreciate a glass of iced tea in the way one might enjoy an aged whiskey. The mixers, the chasers, the accompaniments to alcohol - all of them have always been mighty in their own right, but because I’d been viewing them as second fiddles, I’d sabotaged my ability to enjoy them.

Take verdita, for instance. Traditionally, this vibrant Mexican mixture of sweet pineapple and sour lime juices, savory herbs and spicy chilles is meant as a chaser for tequila shots. I’ve never had a refined relationship with tequila and once I got sober, I never considered chasers as a potential source of refreshment. I naively thought their sole purpose was to help harsh liquids go down easier, while throwing in a little extra flavour to keep things exciting. But in some instances, chasers don’t actually need to chase anything. They could be as good - if not better - than whatever booze you’re imbibing.

I was introduced to verdita by Oscar Leyva, head bartender of both Lindey’s and the Lion in Columbus, Ohio. A native of Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Leyva has fond memories of drinking small glasses of this sweet and spicy drink as a child, while the adults in the room tossed it back with tequila or mixed it into beer, Michelada-style. Behind the bar, Leyva now uses it as a component in alcoholic and nonalcoholic cocktails alike.

Making verdita is easy, and not an exact science. Leyva recommends starting off by considering what levels of heat you’d like to achieve. This is a drink that can showcase the flavour of a pepper as much as its heat, so play with whatever you’ve got growing in your garden. “If you don’t want it to be as spicy I’d recommend [removing the seeds from] the peppers,” he says. “I usually use some with seeds and some without to find a good balance between pepper flavor and spice.”

Leyva also emphasizes the importance of tasting your verdita for flavour as you go, and making adjustments to adapt it for your palate and intended usage. If you’re planning on sipping the drink solo, you may want to be a bit more persnickety while calibrating its big, booming flavours: Too spicy, add more pineapple juice; too sweet, punch it up with more cilantro, mint or fresh lime juice.

When Leyva initially acquainted me with verdita, it was in a fancy nonalcoholic cocktail made with a splash of Seedlip, garnished with a blistered shishito pepper and served over ice. As stunning as his mixological magic was, once I started making verdita at home, I grew to love it as a high-impact, sunshine-bright base for simpler beverages. Try diluting it with ice water for a refreshing springtime sipper, or use tonic or sparkling water for a semi-spicy soda.

And if you’d like to try it the way they do in Mexico, there are more than a few excellent nonalcoholic tequilas and agave-based alternatives on the market that deliver plenty of flavour with zero buzz. It’s also fantastic when mixed with a crisp, mellow nonalcoholic beer, such as a pilsner or slightly hoppy lager.

Verdita

Though traditionally used as a chaser to tequila, verdita, a pineapple and green herb nonalcoholic drink, is flavorful enough to take center stage. This recipe is flexible, so feel free to adjust proportions to taste as you see fit. If you find it too herby, use more pineapple juice. Not spicy enough? Add another jalapeño, or swap them out for a more fiery chille. Want more brightness? Squeeze in more lime.

8 to 10 servings (makes 4 cups)

Total time: 5 mins, plus at least 2 hours of chilling

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days; if the drink separates during storage, gently shake it to recombine.

Make ahead: The drink needs to be prepared and refrigerated for at least 2 hours before serving.

Notes: If you can find it, fresh pineapple juice will make the final drink taste better, but if bottled or from-concentrate juice is all you can find, it will still taste delicious.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups pineapple juice, preferably fresh

1 1/4 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (from 1 small bunch)

1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves (from 1/2 bunch )

1 to 2 jalapeños, to taste, seeds removed for less heat

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes), plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste

ice

Tonic or carbonated water

STEPS

In a blender, combine the pineapple juice, cilantro, mint, jalapeños, lime juice and salt, and process on high until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Taste, and add more lime juice and salt, if desired. Transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. You should have about 4 cups, enough for 8 to 10 drinks.

When ready to serve, fill your desired number of Collins glasses with ice. Add 3 to 4 ounces of the verdita to each glass, and top with tonic or carbonated water.

Substitutions: Lime juice - lemon juice. Dislike cilantro? Use parsley or more mint. Not a fan of heat? Reduce the jalapeño, or skip it.

Variations: In an ice-filled Collins glass, add 2 ounces verdita, 2 ounces Seedlip nonalcoholic spirit, then top with carbonated water.