Artifice – Dry January

To keep up the resolution to write more about non-alcoholic cocktails, I am presenting another one to you today. Besides a rather unusual tea it is also a bit more labour-intensive and requires making a bergamot cordial yourself. However, the cordial is well worth the effort. Obviously, it does not only work well in cocktails without alcohol.

I discovered artichoke tea in the Asian supermarket a while ago. Instantly I knew that I should use it in cocktails. However, because of its curious taste I did not find a suitable cocktail until now. With its slight umami notes, but at the same time hints of vanilla and popcorn, the tea seemed to be the perfect base for this non-alcoholic drink. To not only make a sour style cocktail, but to add a bit more complexity I also added some bergamot cordial which I made according to this recipe. You basically need to make an Oleo Saccharum (oil sugar), clarify the juice with aqua faba and bring the sugar and the juice to a boil. Apart from that, I chose home-made vanilla syrup as a sweetener. To give the drink a beautiful frothy foam I also threw in a little aqua faba.

Although, this might be the most work-intensive non-alcoholic cocktail so far, it also is one of my favourites. It is quite complex with bergamot and vanilla notes. The artichoke tea lingers in the background and works very well with the vanilla syrup. The aqua faba also gives the drink an excellent texture.