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What James Bond orders during Dry July.
About the cocktail
As one of the most iconic drinks in pop culture – from 007 to that blue-eyed crooner Frank Sinatra – a Classic Martini is about the most alcohol-forward cocktail you can get. And a dirty ‘tini? That’s one of the more polarising cocktails in history, sitting very comfortably in the ‘love it or hate it’ zone. So, instead of chasing an exact replica in a non-alc version (hint: you won’t find it), this recipe focuses on what makes the Martini great in the first place – elegance, texture and crisp, no-nonsense appeal. Here, the traditional ‘seasoning’ role played by vermouth is covered by a mix of verjuice, mirin and sugar syrup that brings the depth, body and structure that alcohol usually provides. It may not taste exactly like a Martini – it's much sweeter – but it looks the part and drinks like the most refined, grown-up non-alc cocktail you’ve ever had. The ‘faux olive’ garnish seals the deal. Shaken or stirred, this is proper secret-agent stuff.
Ingredients
40mL non-alcoholic gin 20mL verjuice 10mL mirin 10mL sugar syrup Glass: martini Garnish: drop of olive oil and drop of pomegranate juice (optional)
Method
Pop a mixing glass and martini glass in the freezer to chill Add all ingredients to a frozen mixing glass Stir over cubed ice until chilled and diluted Strain into your frosty martini glass Finish with a drop of quality olive oil, then (if using) a smaller drop of pomegranate oil on top to create a ‘faux olive’
Dan’s top tips
Think of mirin as a sort of richer sake before fermentation and verjuice as an ultra-dry wine before fermentation – suddenly, their role in place of vermouth makes perfect sense. Layering flavours and textures in this way is what elevates non-alcoholic cocktails from blah to legitimately delicious. As for the garnish, pomegranate juice adds a certain level of va-va-voom for those special occasions, but it’s fair enough if you don’t want to crack a bottle only to use a few drops. Just don’t ditch the olive oil – it really adds to the final texture that’s needed in this non-alc take.
image credits: Shelley Horan (photography), Bridget Wald (styling)
