Food & Drinks

The tastiest alcohol-free cocktail you'll want to make today

By Wieke Veenboer | #!31Fri, 20 Oct 2023 16:00:23 +0200+02:002331#31Fri, 20 Oct 2023 16:00:23 +0200+02:00-4Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202331 20pm31pm-31Fri, 20 Oct 2023 16:00:23 +0200+02:004Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam2023312023Fri, 20 Oct 2023 16:00:23 +02000040010pmFriday=9#!31Fri, 20 Oct 2023 16:00:23 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam10#10-20-2023#!31Fri, 20 Oct 2023 16:00:23 +0200+02:002331#/31Fri, 20 Oct 2023 16:00:23 +0200+02:00-4Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202331#!31Fri, 20 Oct 2023 16:00:23 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam10#

At the beginning of this month, I spent an afternoon with Seedlip, and if you are already familiar with that brand, you know: it’s a delight. At my home, the bottles have become indispensable in the liquor cabinet, and they are going fast. I really enjoy making a special drink for myself to relax on the couch after a busy day. Processing the day, taking a conscious moment of rest; so important, and yet I’ve only started doing it recently.

And I’ve been experiencing that moment for a while now with Seedlip: they specialize in non-alcoholic spirits and work with many botanical ingredients. The result is genuinely amazing cocktails, so fresh and they look so festive that I honestly didn’t think I could recreate them at home. I don’t necessarily have to do that, because you can also score one for free from them, made by a professional bartender. Sounds good, right?

Okay, to be completely honest: before this afternoon, I hadn’t tried that either because it seemed too difficult to me. That’s why I stuck to their non-alcoholic Seedlip & Tonic (I’m still working on a catchier name, but for now, this sounds pretty good too), which goes down more than fine. I can now say that I’m becoming a pro.

We started the day with a walk through the garden of Park Frankendael, in Amsterdam-East. Not just any walk, no, this was a preparation for the cocktail workshop that followed. As I mentioned, Seedlip works primarily with botanical ingredients, and yes: you can pick those very well in the wild, even in a city like Amsterdam. Extra fun: you can also make that walk if you’re in the area. Picking your own ingredients and then you also get that free Seedlip cocktail: well, sorry, but then you’re a thief of your own wallet if you don’t stop by soon.

So a nice tip for an afternoon out; personally, I always feel so calm and zen from walking in nature. Appreciating the little things in life again, listening to the birds in the park, and yes, even the rain can feel so relaxing to me. For example, I went inside with a bag full of sage and made the tastiest mocktail I’ve ever had.

And of course, I wrote down the recipe for that, because believe me: you want to taste this. You can easily make it at home because if I (the clumsiest cocktail shaker that ever existed) can do it, then you can definitely do it.

Here’s how to make the Wild Garden Mixer

You need:

– Seedlip Garden 108
– Glass
– Cocktail shaker with strainer
– Boiled water – cooled to 80 degrees
– Fresh herbs from the garden such as mint, basil, rose petals, thyme, lemon leaf, rosemary, sage, and elderflower
– Honey
– 10 ml juice from an orange (not pressed juice)
– Ice cubes
– Bamboo straw

Preparation:

Make a warm infusion of the various herbs from the garden by cooling boiled water to 8 degrees.
Pour the hot water over the garden herbs in a bowl and add ice cubes immediately. Shake a little.
Add 50 ml Seedlip Garden, 100 ml of the herb infusion, 1 teaspoon of honey, and 10 ml of orange juice to a cocktail shaker and shake until a layer of frost appears.
Put ice cubes in a long drink glass.
Strain your mix over the ice cubes in your glass.
Make a small bouquet of your mixed fresh herbs and flowers and activate the scent molecules by lightly clapping them in your palm.
Serve with the fresh herbs and the straw.

Image: Damon Rigter