Mocktails Archives - First Pour Cocktails

Un Poco Coco Loco

Posted on July 13, 2022July 14, 2022 by Nick

Pardon the hiatus, we’ve been busy getting married! Following our long awaited ceremony, we took a trip to the happiest (and perhaps one of the most expensive) place(s) on earth, Disney World! Inspired by their film Coco and its additions around Mexico in EPCOT, plus our love of tiki drinks, we present the original mocktail, Un Poco Coco Loco.

Un Poco Coco Loco

3 oz

Foco Roasted Coconut Juice

3 oz

Gosling’s Ginger Beer

¾ oz

Lime Juice

½ oz

Orgeat

¼ oz

Rich Demerara Syrup

5 Drops

Tiki Bitters

Combine all ingredients except ginger beer in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Separate the tin and add ginger beer. Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh cubed or pellet ice. Garnish with a cherry lime flag.

Un Poco Coco Loco is fresh, toasty, lightly spiced, and refreshing. The roasted toasty notes of the coconut bounce off the fresh lime and sweet almond notes. The demerara adds some richness and touches of caramel. With a pop of ginger the whole drink rounds out delightfully. The light spicing and subtle tropical fruit elements give it a mystique, and the rich texture hides the lack of alcohol in it.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

Un Poco Coco Loco is designed to give the feel of a Tiki drink for the non-alcoholic crowd. The use of multiple sugars and mixture of the lime and coconut help it build a mystique, while ginger beer and bitters add spice.

Foco Roasted Coconut Juice – Foco Roasted Coconut Juice is somewhat unique, and has a caramelized roasted coconut flavor mixed with a fresh coconut flavor. There are pieces of coconut in the juice. The most common place we’ve obtained ours is at Asian markets, but it is occasionally available at Walmart or online at retailers like Amazon*.
Ginger Beer – We used Goslings, which is our go to ginger beer. It’s usually available in the locally grocery store, but can be also found at Amazon*.
Lime Juice – For best results use fresh squeezed. If using Lime Super Juice, use ½ oz in place of ¾ oz.
Orgeat – Most applications we recommend something natural like Small Hand Foods Orgeat*, however in this case you can feel free to reach for something more candy almond like Ferrara Orzata Almond Syrup* (which we used here). Monin would also be a recommended substitute.
Rich Demerara Syrup – Demerara syrup adds a nicely caramelized sugar note to the mix, helping to cover some of the rum notes.
- To Make: Combine 2 parts Demerara Sugar to 1 part water and bring to a simmer stirring over high heat. Remove from heat once the sugar has completely dissolved. Allow to cool and bottle. Refrigerate. The high sugar content will work to inhibit bacterial growth for an extended duration – throw out if any clouding or mold develop.
Tiki Bitters – We use Bitterman’s ‘Elemakule Tiki Bitters* in our recipes that call for Tiki bitters. While these are not strictly non-alcoholic, the amount of alcohol is minimal. Even at 5 drops, and 7.26 oz of total volume before dilution, the ABV will be under 0.1% by volume.

* – This post contains affiliate links that help us keep the lights on. The affiliate links may result in us receiving a commission.

Rudolph’s Nose

Posted on December 15, 2021January 4, 2022 by Nick

Christmas is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than with a cocktail inspired by the classic, “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer”! The classic tale recounts how Rudolph doesn’t quite fit in because of his bright, red, shiny nose. Ultimately, what makes Rudolph not fit in is what helps him stand out, and his shiny red nose saves the day. To help you stand out for the holidays, we’ve crafted Rudolph’s Nose to be a mocktail / cocktail that’s both kid and adult friendly.

This cocktail infuses another childhood memory, spiced apples. These bright red apples come in jars and are infused with a sweet, cinnamon spice syrup that gives them a bite! They most commonly are served with ham, but are delicious on their own (especially if you’re a kid (or still young at heart) and love something a little sweet!). Instead of buying the whole jar of apples, we set out to recreate the flavor. Be aware, the syrup is slightly time consuming to make, but can be done in advance – and you can even use it to make the apples!

Rudolph’s Nose

1 oz

Spiced Red Apple Syrup

5 oz

Sparkling Apple Cider

1 oz

Liquor of Choice (Optional)

Pour syrup into a flute. Add 1 oz of cider or liquor. Stir vigorously with a bar spoon to incorporate. Top with remaining cider. Garnish with a cherry..

Rudolph’s Nose glows brightly with warm baking spices and crisp cider. The apple notes compliment well with the strong cinnamon and clove flavor with just a hint of spice. The combination is remarkably friendly to adding spirits or enjoying without. Be aware, just like the sleigh leader, it is on the sweet side!

Drink Notes & Recommendations

Rudolph’s Nose is designed to be easy to make, but there are a few tricks to getting it right. First, we recommend adding a small amount of cider or liquor to the glass to stir with the syrup due to thickness. By incorporating this before topping with the remaining cider, you’ll ensure an even distribution of the syrup.

Sparkling Apple Cider – We wanted to make sure the flavor of apples was prevalent to compliment the syrup, so we went with sparkling apple cider. Any non-alcoholic apple cider will do here, but we used Martinelli’s.
Liquor – This is an optional inclusion in the drink, but one that adults might like to add. We recommend to include no more than an ounce of your favorite spirit for flavor. In our test we found that any spirit will likely work, as long as you find you enjoy it to begin with. We tried El Dorado 3, Laird Straight Applejack, and Heaven Hill Quality House Old Style Bourbon, all of which worked fantastically.
Garnish – To add the illusion of the nose, we added a maraschino cherry. The florescent color is fun and kid friendly.
Spiced Red Apple Syrup – This syrup is slightly complicated, but can be made in advance, and should hold up well in the fridge for several weeks to a couple months. As always, discharge in the event of any clouding or mold growth.

Spiced Red Apple Syrup

8 oz – Cinnamon Hard Candy
10 g – Cloves
20 g – Cinnamon Stick broken into 1 inch pieces
1 – Dried Guajillo Pepper (optional)
1 – Empty Tea Bag for use in 12 cup tea cup.
24 oz of water

Combine the cloves, cinnamon stick, and guajillo pepper in a tea bag. Tie off the end, and set aside. In a metal sauce pan, bring water to a boil over high heat, and add a 1/3 of the cinnamon hard candies. Stir using a silicon non-stick spatula to facilitate the breakdown of the candies. After 5 minutes, add the next 1/3. Continue to occasionally stir. Repeat for the final 1/3 after another 5 minutes. Continue to boil until the candies are fully dissolved.

After the candies are full dissolved. Add in the tea bag and boil for 30 minutes. There will be significant reduction in volume. If the syrup becomes too thick, add an additional 4 oz of water. After 30 minutes, remove from heat, and allow to steep for an additional hour and half. After an hour and half, remove the teabag and pour the syrup into a clean bottle. Refrigerate until ready for use.

Syrup Notes: This syrup is tricky. As you are melting the cinnamon candies, expect that the syrup will form some gummy spots. These will stick to the spatula (even silicone), but just keep stirring with the candy stuck to the spatula to help melt the sugar. They will dissolve eventually. The original idea was to use red hots, but we found that cinnamon discs from Walgreens happen to have a more consistent cinnamon flavor. These are the candies that you might have found in your grandparents candy bowl that are big and oval shaped. You can typically get these for about $2-3 for a 16oz bag where they’re individually wrapped.

Feeling like you’ve been a little bad this year? Why not try A Lump of Coal Instead?

Christmas Cocktails 2019 - A Lump of Coal — A Lump of Coal

Valentine’s Day 2021: Chocolate Covered Strawberry Hot Chocolate

Posted on February 11, 2021February 13, 2021 by Nick

Leading off our first of two celebratory drinks is our first posted mocktail. Both cocktails will feature chocolate and strawberries, so you’ll be able to use the Strawberry Simple here for both drinks. Inspired by a chocolate covered strawberry, this hot chocolate is a great way to warm up with the frigid February temps. With no alcohol, it’s also versatile for both those avoiding alcohol and for kids.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Hot Chocolate

8 oz

Milk

1 Packet

Swiss Miss Rich Hot Chocolate

3 Drops

Almond Extract

Strawberry

Whipped Cream

Prepare the Swiss Miss Rich Hot Chocolate in accordance with the stovetop directions on the packet using milk. Once combined, remove from heat, and stir in 3 drops of Almond Extract. Pour into your favorite mug or heat resistant glass. Using a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off, add 1-2 layers of strawberry whipped cream. Feel free to add any other embellishments to the whip cream, including hot fudge, caramel, sprinkles, or candies.

The play between the slight nuttiness and creamy rich hot chocolate accentuates wonderfully against the cold, vibrant strawberry whipped cream. Like all hot chocolate, the flavors slowly meld together as the whipped cream melts, leaving behind an increasingly fresh strawberry flavored hot chocolate.

Strawberry Whipped Cream

8 oz Heavy Cream, chilled
8 oz Strawberry Simple Syrup, chilled

Chill your bowl and whisking attachments in a freezer for at least 15 minutes. Once chilled, add heavy cream, and whip on the highest setting until peaks become visible. Working in at least 2 batches (4 oz and 4 oz), slowly drizzle in the Strawberry Simple Syrup on high. Allow the cream to form peaks again before adding subsequent batches. Once all syrup is combined, continued to beat until light and fluffy. Set aside and reserve.

Strawberry Simple Syrup:

Deliciously fresh and unadulterated, this strawberry syrup is thick, fast, and fragrant. It’s uses aren’t limited to cocktails, feel free to try it on pancakes.

250 g Strawberries, cleaned and hulled
250 g White Sugar

In a blender, combine equal weights cleaned and hulled strawberries with white sugar. Blend until smooth. Pour into a sealed container, refrigerate, and use within 1 – 2 weeks.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Hot Chocolate Drink Notes & Recommendations:

Don’t you hate it when you have to make an ingredient for only one drink? I know that I do, but thankfully the strawberry simple syrup listed above is used in both the hot chocolate and our adult offering – the Chocolate Covered Strawberry cocktail.

While there are a number of steps to making this hot chocolate, you shouldn’t run into too many issues. I’ve tried to highlight some of the most common ones below.

Strawberry Simple – Use fresh strawberries here for the best results. Since no heat is applied, the flavor will be extraordinarily natural.
Strawberry Whipped Cream –
- The most obvious enemy here is warmth. Failure to keep the cream cold will result in the fat structure not setting up sufficiently for the cream to whip. For this reason, make sure both your cream and your syrup are cold.
- When you start, resist the urge to immediately dump your syrup in. This can result in a grainy whipped cream that may not set correctly. Finally, if the syrup accumulates on the side of the bowl, it is ok to stop and scrape down the sides and continue whisking.
- I used my Kitchen Aid* to make this whipped cream, and at the ratios you see, you will end up with a large quantity of whipped cream. If you Kitchen Aid or mixer can accommodate, feel free to use less, but keep the ratio even (example, 4oz cream to 4oz syrup). Extra can also be used on other desserts (like chocolate cake) or wherever you happen to like to apply whipped cream.
Milk – We used Whole Milk here, but feel free to use what you prefer.
Hot Chocolate – The fact is Swiss Miss* is no fuss, but feel free to swap out your favorite brand or recipe – adding in the almond extract at the same point.
Almond Extract – We used McCormick for this recipe and a straw as a dropper. If you happen to have pipettes*, they work wonderfully as well.

Looking for another Valentine’s Day Cocktail? Check out our 2020 featured cocktail, the Love Potions!

* – This post contains affiliate links that my grant us a commission, and help us keep finding new bottles for you try and testing out new cocktails. We appreciate your help!