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What’s in my glass: Sirocco Zero Proof Cocktail / Wild Common
I stand corrected.
I sincerely doubted that there would ever be a zero-proof cocktail that would “be worth” the full cocktail price that I see them often selling for. Most are berry or ginger-forward, feel a little thin, and often are too sugary to boot.
That all changed Wednesday evening when I sipped the Sirocco zero proof cocktail from Alyssa Glueck at Wild Common in Charleston. As a cocktail writer, I honestly assumed I could guess when something was zero proof. Wrong. If I’d blind tasted this one, I would have had no idea.
The ingredients: Little Saints St. Amber, cantaloupe juice, olive oil, mint, verjus blanc, and yuzu served with a sumac-salted rim.
“I love trying to recreate a dish through a cocktail,” Alyssa says, “and so this reminds me of a summer melon salad.”
That is exactly what appealed to me. It had a strong base of melon, but was smoky, minty, and bright, and the texture combo of a little olive oil and verjus blanc was the masterful stroke that really gave the cocktail weight on the palate. (Another way to say this is that it felt more like what drinking a cocktail feels like rather than just a concoction of fruit juices).
This drink requires a lot of sourcing for the home mixologist, so Alyssa suggests beginning with freshly juiced cantaloupe juice -- pull that juicer off the back pantry shelf -- then add mint and yuzu, and blend with a lemonade. You won’t quite capture the flavors of this cocktail but will be a wonderful beverage nonetheless, especially served with a salted rim.
And for those that want a full-fledged cocktail? Consider adding a little smoky mezcal.
Where I would be if I were in ATL on July 30: Lazy Betty’s Third Annual Pasta Collaboration Dinner
