If you have been to Alinea, or heard about Alinea, or seen Alinea referenced on television or heard Grant Achatz talk about food or ingredients, it should already be clear that the Alinea Group is not interested in existing within boundaries and creating in parallel with what has already been done. The same will be said about their cocktail book, Zero: A New Approach to Non-Alcoholic Drinks (created by Allen and Sarah Hemberger; Nick Kokonas; Grant Achatz; and Micah Melton) that involves, you guessed it, zero alcohol yet provides the same complexity in drink form that their dishes offer. This is not your soda and juice, overly sweet and boring aperitif, this is your answer to grownup drinks minus the buzz.
The concept was inspired by the very moment that Allen Hemberger attended Alinea with his sister who was pregnant at the time. Unable to enjoy the usual pairings with each course, she figured water would be the only way forward. But never to be underestimated, the servers at Alinea knew that their culinary minds would never allow for the lack of alcohol to undo the necessity of having a drink pair with a dish and add something to the experience as a whole.
And that may be the exact word that best describes Zero: experience. All involved in creating this book looked at what made us grab certain glasses and when. Champagne for special celebrations, moody dark cocktails for late quiet evenings, wine with meals, a shared pour around the table. All of these moments are experiences that go beyond just quenching our thirst and washing it down. They took this into account and figured out ways to create that same feeling in the mouth, the same flavor profiles, the same slow sip all without the alcohol and all within the realms of being able to still bask in the surroundings and the moment at hand.
The book itself is vast and allows you to create an entire alcohol-free bar from scratch. There are recipes for zero-proof liquors and bitters and amaros, everything from tequila to fernet. Using ingredients like artichokes, cardamom, bananas, and figs you create your own back bar simply by boiling, or if possible sous vide, then straining and letting your concoction cool. This allows you to move to the next sections of the book that focus on classic cocktails like Daiquiris, the French 75, and Negroni’s, to more modern mixed drinks like the Thai Fighter, Cereal Killer, or Shake Your Tamarind. All utilizing processes and (for the most part) ingredients that are easy to obtain for non chefs.
If cooking up an entire bar for a cocktail is not your thing, Zero offers their take on wines, breakfast stouts, ciders, and even a $5 Milkshake. Each different drink is fully thought about in terms of the experience that the individual wants from that certain beverage. The amount of care that went into tasting and testing each recipe to make sure that it was absolutely perfect from aroma to texture goes beyond what we would usually expect for what we usually consider just a drink. But The Alinea Group doesn’t settle for what is usual. They go beyond expectation to a place you would have never imagined possible.
Zero turns Dry January into a doable, enjoyable, commitment. Why must we numb what is needed to enjoy our time together, and the food in front of us, when we can add to the experience, with the same culinary touches and expertise as with our favorite dishes.
Zero: A New Approach to Non-Alcoholic Drinks is available where books are sold and through the Alinea Group's website, theaviarybooks.com.