Truth be told, we mix a lot of drinks and cook a lot of dishes with the blog in mind, but most of the things we make are simply to feed our family and friends. But when they do like something and ask for a recipe, you can be damn sure we are going to post it. Happy faces never get old, and successful dishes and drinks are still hard to come by. If you want the recipe, just ask, we are happy to oblige.

As for this “mocktail”, our eldest son had his friend Max over to work on a school project and play some baseball. After some time outside, our son asked for a mocktail, and if our kid gets one, well, so does his guest. And since we had a bunch of fresh winter citrus available, including blood oranges and Meyer Lemons (two of our favorite ingredients) we figured we could make something the boys would enjoy. And Max liked this enough to want the recipe, so here it is.

Max’s Mocktail combines blood orange juice, lemon juice, falernum syrup, a dash of Rhubarb bitters (optional) and sparkling water. So what’s falernum syrup? Falernum is a sweet West-Indian syrup with flavors of lime, ginger and clove. Falernum is a common tiki-drink ingredient and is a primary flavor in classics like the Jet Pilot and Zombie. You can find falernum syrup in many liquor stores, it is inexpensive and lasts forever. Just don’t confuse falernum syrup with Velvet Falernum, a version that has alcohol and isn’t safe for “mocktails”. We understand that many people won’t have falernum syrup, so we also have a second version of the recipe that subs a dash of lime juice, sugar and ginger ale for the falernum syrup and sparkling water.

As for the taste of Max’s Mocktail, the main flavors are the blood orange and the spice of the falernum (or ginger ale). Blood oranges have tart berry-ish flavors to go with sweet orange notes, and the lemon juice keeps a nice acidity through the sip. The sparking water lightens the texture and adds some pleasant bubbles, but this is more of a juice than “soda” drink. As for the rhubarb bitters, it’s optional, but adds some depth and “mystery” sweetness that most hardcore cocktail fans will notice and enjoy. And even if it has no booze, this mocktail has that beautiful blood orange color (no, we never tire of it) and makes for a very refreshing and flavorful sip. Here you go Max!

Max’s Mocktail #1:

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. fresh blood orange juice
• 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice (preferably Meyer lemons)
• 3/4 oz. falernum syrup (Fee’s)
• 2 dashes rhubarb bitters (Fee’s), optional 
• 2 oz. sparking water or club soda
• Lemon wedge, for garnish

Assemble:

1. Combine the juices, falernum and bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled and strain into a highball glass with ice. Top with the sparkling water, lightly stir and garnish with lemon wedge. Serve.

Max’s Mocktail #2:

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. fresh blood orange juice
• 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice (preferably Meyer lemons)
• 1/4 oz. fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup (or a teaspoon of superfine sugar), more to taste
• 2 dashes rhubarb bitters (Fee’s), optional
• 2 oz. ginger ale or ginger beer
• Lemon wedge, for garnish

Assemble:

1. Combine the juices, simple syrup or sugar and bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled and strain into a highball glass with ice. Top with the ginger ale, lightly stir and garnish with lemon wedge. Serve.

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• 5 Non-Alcoholic Mocktails to Ring in the New Year (greenster.com)
• Cucumber-Lemonade Mocktail (thebittenword.com)
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