Good cheer and good sense can peacefully co-exist during the holiday party season. According to a poll conducted by the Data Development Corporation for Anheuser-Busch, nearly all American adults (93 percent) have heard of designated drivers and 116 million Americans (59 percent) have been a designated driver or have been driven home by one.
Folks who prefer not to drink alcohol don't need to settle for soda pop or the usual red party punch, thanks to these recipes. Several local restaurants shared some ideas for "mocktails," and the AAA motor club's brochure, "Delicious Drinks for Designated Drivers," contains recipes from posh hotels, including the Bellagio in Las Vegas and Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley.
When serving, think presentation. Ditch the plastic tumblers and styrofoam cups. Sparkling glassware and garnishes like twists of lemon or lime, or celery stick twirlers add appeal.
Some of the drinks call for grenadine — the deep red, pomegranate-flavored syrup that gives the non-alcoholic Shirley Temple its pink blush. At one time, it was made exclusively from pomegranates grown on the island of Grenada in the Caribbean — hence the name.
Now other fruit-juice concentrates are also used to make the syrup. You can find it in most grocery stores (look in the "mixers" area of the beverage aisle), as well as swizzle sticks, straws, etc. The Torani syrups come in myriad fruity flavors, as well as caramel and vanilla, and can be found at gourmet stores and Italian markets (we found them at Frank Granato Importing Co.)
If you're wondering how to measure an ounce, figure that a can of soda pop is 12 ounces, a cup usually holds 8 ounces and go from there. Fortunately, these drinks don't need exacting measurement.
TROPICAL SHAKE
1 mango
1 1/2 ounce s passion fruit nectar
Club soda
Blend mango and nectar together with crushed ice in blender. Serve in a tall glass. Top with soda. Recipe from Park Hyatt, San Francisco.
SONOMA SONATA
4 ounces grape juice
4 ounces ginger ale
Serve in a tall wine glass over ice cubes. Garnish with orange slice and cherry. Recipe from Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco.
PINEAPPLE SNAP
5 ounces ginger ale
Splash pineapple juice
Juice from 1 lime
Combine ingredients and serve chilled. Recipe from Bellagio, Las Vegas.
ODE TO THE CRANBERRIES
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1/2 cup Diet Sprite
1/2 cup ice
Fresh orange slice
Maraschino cherry
Blend together the orange juice, cranberry juice, diet Sprite and ice for 30 seconds. Garnish with the orange slice and maraschino cherry. Recipe from Ty Fredrickson of Baci Trattoria and Cafe Pierpont.
ITALIAN SODA
2 ounces Torani Syrup (fruit flavor of your choice)
8 ounces sparkling water (club soda)
Splash of half and half
In a tall glass filled with ice, pour 2 ounces of your favorite flavor of syrup. Fill the glass to 1/2-inch of the rim with about 8 ounces of sparkling water (or club soda) and add a splash of half and half (or a larger splash of whole milk). Recipe from Tuscany.
CARAMEL APPLE
1 ounce caramel syrup (such as Torani)
1/2 ounce vanilla syrup (such as Torani)
Apple juice
Fill a glass with ice. Add caramel syrup and vanilla syrup. Fill with apple juice. Garnish with a tall straw and a caramel. Recipe from Stein Eriksen Lodge.
METROPOLITAN MULLED MOCKTAIL
12 ounces fresh apple cider
4.5 ounces cranberry juice
4.5 ounces fresh squeezed orange juice
12 cloves
1 pinch nutmeg
4 cinnamon sticks
4 orange slices
Combine first 5 ingredients in a sauce pan on low heat until hot. Pour into glasses and garnish with cinnamon stick and orange slice. Serves 4. Recipe from Karen Olson, Metropolitan.
DEER VALLEY'S FRESH MINTED LEMONADE
1 quart fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 quart Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
4 quarts water
1 ounce fresh mint
Mix lemon juice, Simple Syrup and water. Wrap the mint in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it with a string. Place the mint in the lemonade and allow to infuse for about 6 hours. Makes 6 quarts lemonade.
Simple Syrup: Mix 3 cups sugar and 2 cups water in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until all of the sugar has dissolved and the syrup almost comes to a boil. Chill. Makes about 1 quart of Simple Syrup. Recipe from Letty Flatt, Deer Valley Resort.
NUTS AND BERRIES
2 ounces hazelnut Torani syrup
1 ounce raspberry Torani syrup
4 ounces half and half (steamed)
Pour hazelnut flavoring in glass. Add steamed half and half, leaving enough room for the raspberry flavoring. Add raspberry flavoring until drink turns a light violet color. Can also be served cold. If served cold, pour hazelnut flavoring in glass over ice. Add cold half and half, leaving enough room for last flavoring. Add raspberry flavoring until drink turns light violet color. Recipe from Tom Beaty, Grand America Hotel.
SUMMER BREEZE
3 ounces cranberry juice
1 ounce grapefruit juice
4 ounces ginger ale
Fill a 12-ounce glass with ice cubes. Pour in juices and ginger ale. Stir gently. Garnish with a lime wheel. Recipe from Le Meridien, San Francisco.
ORANGE FIZZ
3 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
3 ounces sparkling mineral water
grenadine
Put ingredients in a glass. Add a dash of grenadine for pleasing color and sweeter taste. Garnish with a slice of orange. Recipe from Le Meridien, San Francisco.
BLOODY SHAME
Fill a large glass with cracked ice; add tomato or V-8 juice, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Garnish with a carrot stick and lemon wedge. Recpe from Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel, San Francisco.
BREATHALIZER
Crush fresh mint into the bottom of a tall chimney glass; add cracked ice. Fill the glass with apple juice and garnish with a lemon wedge. Recipe from Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel, San Francisco.
PARADISE PUNCH
2 ounces orange juice
2 ounces cranberry juice
2 ounces pineapple juice
1/4 ounce grenadine
Combine all ingredients. Shake well and serve. Recipe adapted from Park Hyatt, San Francisco.
E-MAIL: vphillips@desnews.com