Theology & Tankards

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🍹 BAR: If you are in Chicago, pay a visit to the newly opened In Good Spirits in West Town. Here’s a local news story. (link)

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In each edition of The Modern Substitute, On The Bar focuses on three drinks you should be on the look out for. We’ll give you a quick rundown of our thoughts on the drink, who makes it, where to buy it or, in the case of mocktails, how to make it.

Please note due to popularity or limited runs, some drinks may be out of stock - please check with the beverage companies for updates.

GOLDEN STATE CIDER - DRY & MIGHTY

• Sebastopol, CA

• Calories: 60

• Serving: 16 fl. oz.

• <0.5% ABV

• Buy: www.drinkgoldenstate.com • Total Wine & More • Local NA stores

• Price: $3.25-$4.25 per can

The ModSub thoughts: Cider brings back two very different memories for me. Weekend bottles of Merrydown Cider consumed with friends in student bedsits off Kilburn High Road in London, getting ready for the clubs or just playing records long into the night.

Later in life, three generations of my family wandering across Somerset fields, in search of a local cider mill for afternoon tastings and return journeys, laden with gallon jugs of scrumpy cider. Aah scrumpy - guaranteed to be one of the most delicious headaches you’ll ever have.

I've had some lovely non-alcoholic ciders in England but have often lamented the lack of options here in the US. Until last week, when I came across Dry and Mighty in one of my local bottle shops.

This is the first non-alcoholic option from Golden State Cider and it’s produced in the same style as their flagship cider, Mighty Dry, with fresh apples and champagne yeast.

All the apples are sourced from their own orchards and other farms across Northern California.

This cider has a flavor depth that is truly a thing of beauty. A slight hint of sour mixed with a bold apple richness swiftly followed by a full dry finish. I really love this. I don’t think I’m exaggerating in saying that this might be my favorite cider ever, non-alcoholic or otherwise. (I’m even salivating about it while I’m proof-reading this paragraph!)

Oh and before there is any confusion. This is not apple juice. This is Hard Cider with the ‘Hard’ bit removed. Seek it out!

How Golden State Cider describes their Dry & Mighty: An apple-driven option for those seeking a lower calorie, lower carb option with 75% less sugar than the leading sparkling apple juice.

Made the same as our Mighty Dry, Dry & Mighty is produced with 100% fresh-pressed west coast apple juice and fermented with champagne yeast.

Once complete, the cider undergoes a gentle de-alcoholization process​, removing the alcohol but leaving behind the bright, crisp and juicy flavors with less than 0.5% ABV.

Learn more about Golden State Cider at http://www.drinkgoldenstate.com

EINBECKER - BRAUHERREN ALKOHOLFREI

• Einbeck, Germany

• Calories: Unknown

• Serving: 11.2 fl.oz.

• 0.5% ABV

• Buy: Widely available online • Available at some local NA stores

• Price: $10.99 - $13.99

The ModSub thoughts: The town of Einbeck has a long history of brewing beer that dates back to the 14th Century. Someone, somewhere, apparently has a receipt for a beer delivery from 1351. Which seems a bit bonkers to me, but there you go.

What’s even more bonkers is at that time, there were some 700 master brewers in Einbeck.

IN. ONE. TOWN.

Some fairly well-cemented folklore has it that Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformation chappy, was handed a beer by Duke Erich (local nobleman) and immediately uttered the words ’The best drink known to man is called Einbecker beer’.

Not unsurprisingly, some have doubted the veracity of this tale. Who cares though, makes for a good story and, as no-one can prove otherwise, it’s one heck of an endorsement.

Alkoholfrei undergoes the same meticulous brewing process as Einbecker’s ‘Original' Brauherren (w/alc) and after maturation, the alcohol is removed to create the low ABV%.

The result? A refreshingly light brew with a delightful, lingering hoppy bitterness that enjoys a slow dance or two across your taste buds and back again.

Perfect for a lunchtime beer in the sun with a nice cheese sandwich or for a go-to gameday option when you need to keep things light yet, intriguing. Who doesn’t love a good German Pilsner? Martin Luther certainly does.

How Einbecker describe their Pils: Fresh, light and with the bitter taste of hops.

Learn more about Einbecker at http://www.einbecker.de

Jasmine Spritz

• La Marchande, New York

• Calories: Unknown

• Serving: 5-7 oz

• 0%ABV

The ModSub thoughts: While researching mocktail recipes for future articles, I stumbled upon Anna Moeslein's recent piece in Glamour Magazine. It's a veritable goldmine of recipes collected from restaurants and bars across the country, from New York to LA, Wisconsin to Texas.

I can't wait to try some of these recipes, and I'm sure I'll be referencing this article in future newsletters. Be sure to bookmark it right now!

Choosing just one drink to make this week was a challenge, as they all look fabulous, but the Jasmine Spritz (#7) from La Marchande in NYC caught my eye. It lives up to its promise of being a white wine spritz replica.

This mocktail is a delightful blend of sweet floral notes with a slightly bitter base from the Jasmine Tea, and complemented by the tangy Verjus. Add some bubbles, and you'll have a spritz that might just convince you that white wine was in fact the main ingredient all along.

This one is definitely worth your time!

CLICK THE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE & INGREDIENTS

Difficulty Level: Easy

Tip 1 : By far, the hardest part of making this Spritz was finding White Verjus. I tried two decent supermarkets with no luck and finally found it at a specialty food store. If you are having a hard time sourcing it locally, there are plenty of options online. I ended up with one from Montinore Estate in Oregon.

Tip 2 : I read somewhere that if you have had your Verjus open in the fridge for three weeks, then it might be starting to outstay its welcome. So it doesn’t go to waste you can make Verjus ice cubes and store them in the freezer for future use. (Ed: I did not take my own advice, and it went bad! Ugh).

Tip 3 : Revisit last week’s newsletter for the Lemonade Rosé recipe and use the Verjus in that too.

Tip 4 : Buy decent tea. It makes all the difference to the flavor.

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📺 Lastly, a little bit of YouTube fun with the Holderness Family reviewing a bunch of NA beers. I can’t disagree with the winning choice!

Until next week - CHEERS!

Did You Miss Last Week’s Newsletter?

Read about Pentire’s Seaward & Tonic, Stella Artois Liberte and Giesen Rosé and how to make a pretty fab Lemonade Rosé