Did your friends unexpectedly tag you as the designated driver? Maybe you’re an expectant mom needing a baby-friendly beverage. No matter your reason for steering clear of the hard stuff, Morton’s Steakhouse in Clayton has added some mocktails to the bar menu this season – and all three are sure to please your palate.
The Pom-Pom is made from lemonade and pomegranate syrup shaken with fresh mint and topped with Morton’s signature Heavenly Raspberry Foam. You can get your daily fruit requirement with the Lemon-Berry Smash: fresh raspberries and strawberries, muddled and shaken with lemonade and a splash of soda. Our pick is the tangy Ginger No-Jito that calls for mint, lime juice and ginger beer with a splash of club soda. We like it so much we’re making it at home. Here’s the recipe so you can muddle your own:
Ginger No-Jito Courtesy of Morton’s Steakhouse
8 fresh mint leaves
½ oz. simple syrup
½ fresh lime
4 oz. ginger beer (preferably Reed’s Ginger Beer)
2 oz. club soda
- Muddle the simple syrup and mint leaves in shaker.
- Add the lime juice, ginger beer and club soda. Add ice.
- Gently roll ingredients back and forth between two shakers at least five times.
- Serve in a 14-ounce glass.
– Ligaya Figueras
For more information on what St. Louis’ creative mixologists are doing with nonalcoholic drinks, check out this month’s Elixir column under Wine & Spirits.
This article appears in Apr 1-30, 2010.