Taste and Tipple

We’re still going strong with Dry January and today I’m serving up this Tiki mocktail that I shook up on virtual happy hour on Instagram this past Friday.

As more Canadians experiment with sober curiosity on an ongoing basis, we’re starting to see more non-alcoholic distilled spirits, wines, and beers come to our shores. Aside from Dry January, many people put their willpower to the test and check-in on their relationship with alcohol during Dry July and Sober October.

While I’m not planning to commit to a life of sobriety anytime soon, I welcome all the newcomers to the zero-proof marketplace. In non-pandemic times, so much of our socialization revolves around alcohol. As such, when you do choose not to imbibe, it tends to elicit comment or even outrage from folks you’re with, “Why aren’t you drinking?” “Are you pregnant?” “Are you on antibiotics?”

We need to normalize choosing not to drink and I think populating cocktail menus with more “driving cocktails” or “placebo cocktails” is a great way to improve inclusivity and allow teetotallers to enjoy the experience of a well-crafted drink without the booze. It might also preclude unwanted interrogations from peers who want to pressure you to get LIT.

You’d never look at this charming Tiki mug and think it contained a non-alcoholic concoction. Also, if your friends make you feel guilty for not drinking the hard stuff, maybe it’s time to have a fierce conversation with them and let them know your choice shouldn’t have any bearing on their ability to enjoy the evening.

So this Coconots (get it?) uses the only non-alcoholic rum alternative currently available in Canada – Fluère. The brand also produces a couple of other non-alcoholic spirits. I would describe the Fluère non-alcoholic rum alternative as fairly sweet, which you would expect from a non-alcoholic spirit made with distilled sugar cane molasses. Notes of coffee and cocoa come through clearly with some subtle hints of liquorice.

Given that the Fluère bears the sweetness you would find in a rum but none of the heat from the alcohol, I’ve dialled back the amount of syrup I’ve added to this drink to prevent it from becoming cloying.

Orgeat is an almond-based syrup that is a quintessential Tiki ingredient. I generally prefer to make my own from scratch because I’m a bit of a purist but it can be a time-consuming and sticky process (cheesecloth is involved). I’ve used the off-the-shelf variety by Prosyro in this recipe and was quite pleased with the flavour even though it doesn’t contain any actual nuts! Making it an ideal option for anyone with nut allergies.

Coconut milk and plenty of lime round out this little number, along with a few dashes of Bittermens Elemakule Tiki Bitters (which are made with alcohol but I think we’ll live). If you don’t have Tiki bitters, swap for Angostura. The finished product feels like a Hawaiian vacation in a glass, without the hangover or the sunburn!

Coconots: Tiki Mocktail