Nonalcoholic

Pastries are served with mint tea. Spearmint is considered the best for tea, but other varieties can be used. In Morocco, they drink the tea very sweet with a large number of sugar lumps in the teapot, but you can suit your taste.

Smoothies are superb served with pizza meals. Try this or any of the other smoothies in this chapter the next time you make pizza. I’ve suggested these smoothies as part of some of the menus in Chapter Six, A Flash in the (Pizza) Pan.

I remember buying creamsicles from the ice cream truck as a child. The combination of the orange and vanilla flavors was wonderfully refreshing. Here’s a healthy, natural re-creation of those flavors in an invigorating beverage.

Some days, I need little more than this or the following refreshing smoothie for lunch. My younger son wanted readers to know that he came up with the mango and pear combination at the age of seven. It’s unbelievably good—thanks, Evan!

GLUTEN-FREE
SOY-FREE The Internet is filled with vegan nog recipes made with lots of tofu, but somehow, the thought of tofu in something other than a smoothie seems odd to me (and truth be told, I don't much care for tofu in smoothies, either). For a more elegant version, cashew butter gives a little body to the beverage without being overly filling.

An excellent cocktail all fall and winter long.

For the best results, chill the produce first.

This puckery, sparkling aperitif is booze-optional.

Watermelon in its solid state is so loaded with water and sugar that it is little more than a beverage waiting to be released from captivity. This tangy, refreshing drink is the fulfillment of that promise. The addition of a little vinegar does much to expand the aroma of the watermelon, which is barely perceptible when you’re eating the fruit. Mint and watermelon are natural BFFs. If you were unaware of that relationship before tasting this recipe, afterward you will try never to serve a slice of watermelon without a mint sprig somewhere nearby.

Extracted from the pulp inside the seedpods of the African tamarind tree, tamarind paste is sold in Indian groceries and sometimes in the Asian section of supermarkets. Tamarind pulp is quite sour, being about 20 percent acid (mostly tartaric), but it is also somewhat sweet and savory, with a complex roasted underpinning. In much of Asia, tamarind is used to acidify sauces, soups, preserves, and beverages. If you can't find it, you could substitute a combination of lime juice and Marmite and come close. Tamarind paste will keep almost indefinitely in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container.

Because ripe pineapples bruise easily and don't travel well, and because the fruit doesn't ripen after being picked, processed pineapple products like juice and canned fruit that are made from fully ripened fruit frequently taste better than the fresh pineapples available to most consumers. That's why I don't waste my time juicing my own pineapples for beverages. Strawberries are another matter. Strawberry juice, because of its low acidity, is highly perishable. In this light sparkling soda, the strawberry juice is fresh and the pineapple juice is processed—the best of both worlds.

Chicago chef Graham Elliot uses aromatic makrut lime leaves to make this sparkler from his sandwich shop, Grahamwich. They're sold frozen, and sometimes fresh, wherever you buy Thai groceries. If unavailable, substitute an additional 1/2 teaspoon lime zest for each lime leaf.

Fresh ginger and crushed red pepper flakes give this recipe from Portland's Grüner restaurant its fragrant, pleasantly spicy kick.

At San Francisco's Contigo, chef Brett Emerson created this muddled soda to showcase the small, sweet strawberries he finds at the farmers’ market.

This aphrodisiac-laden mocktail comes from NYC's Museum of Sex and is a perfect way to set the mood on Valentine's Day. The recipe makes enough mango elixir and lavender crystals for eight drinks; if you're making only two, refrigerate the remaining elixir and store the crystals in an airtight container at room temperature (both will last up to two weeks). If you can't find dried lavender, just skip the lavender-crystal rim—it's purely optional. To make the Persephone alcoholic, add two ounces of vodka to each drink.

This aphrodisiac-laden mocktail comes from NYC's Museum of Sex and is a perfect way to set the mood on Valentine's Day. The recipe makes enough rose elixir and rosemary crystals for eight drinks; if you're making only two, refrigerate the remaining elixir and store the crystals in an airtight container at room temperature (both will last up to two weeks). If you're short on time, skip the rosemary crystals and use just the superfine sugar instead. To make the Shanghai Rose alcoholic, add two ounces of gin or vodka to each drink.

This aphrodisiac-laden mocktail comes from NYC's Museum of Sex and is a perfect way to set the mood on Valentine's Day. This recipe makes enough cinnamon and cardamom elixirs for eight drinks; if you're making only two, refrigerate both elixirs and they will last up to two weeks. If you can't find granulated honey, substitute raw cane sugar. The saffron rock candy garnish is optional, so feel free to skip it—the Lucky Devil still has plenty of aphrodisiac power without it. To make the Lucky Devil alcoholic, add two ounces of rum, Calvados, or vodka to each drink.

This aphrodisiac-laden mocktail comes from NYC's Museum of Sex and is a perfect way to set the mood on Valentine's Day. This recipe makes enough vanilla elixir, chile elixir, and coconut sea salt for eight drinks; if you're making only two, refrigerate both elixirs and store the salt in an airtight container at room temperature (they will last up to two weeks). To make the Azteca alcoholic, add two ounces of rum or vodka to each drink.

This aphrodisiac-laden mocktail comes from NYC's Museum of Sex and is a perfect way to set the mood on Valentine's Day. The recipe makes enough almond and jasmine elixirs for eight drinks; if you're making only two, refrigerate both elixirs and they will last up to two weeks. If you can't find granulated honey, substitute raw cane sugar. To make the Night Flower alcoholic, add two ounces of St. Germain (elderflower liqueur) or vodka to each drink.