Botanical Pairings / Non-alcoholic Drinks
I’ve been working behind the bar for 18 years now, and i’ve found myself focusing on an unexpected avenue: non-alcoholic drinks.
The drinks are made as pairings, which is to say, they are designed to be enjoyed with a specific dish. The drinks must be good when had by themselves, but when you have them alongside the chosen dish, they reveal a whole new level of value. Guests frequently tell me how much better the zero-alc option is than wine itself for pairing purposes, and I find myself agreeing! The reason for the powerful suitability of the botanic option comes primarily from the fact that alcohol hides flavour. It dominates it. If you take the dominating presence away then you’re simply left with more flavour.
Compulsory AI generated paragraph -
The future of non-alcoholic drinks is evolving toward a refined experience suitable for fine dining.
Meticulously crafted beverages are designed to complement each dish with precision.
These drinks are set to enrich dining experiences for those seeking a truly sophisticated non-alcoholic option.
Above: Green Guava with Genmaicha Tea, white Verjus and Chaat Masala.
The approach I take when creating these Botanical Pairings is to effectively reverse engineer all the aspects that you would enjoy in a wine - I’m looking for Body, Tannin, Sweetness, Acidity (on top of the Aromatics/flavour of course), then finding the correct balance of the parts to unlock the dish.
I’m currently working at a Peruvian restaurant called Nazka in De Pijp, which has facets of Japanese (Nikkei cuisine) and Indian influence.
These cuisines are wealthy with exciting ingredients.