No more hangovers

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“You can have fun without alcohol.” You’ve probably heard this phrase many times. But probably hardly any from a bartender. Manuel Vaziri (31) is really serious. Originally from Bavaria (D), he has been working on the Swiss gastronomy scene for years and is now considered a master of soft drinks.

In search of the perfect soft drink and the most ingenious combination of flavors, he founded the company Mikks in his shared kitchen at the age of 24. There he creates products that make life easier for bartenders, whether professional or amateur: any kind of beverage, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, can be prepared with pre-made mixes. And not just in the evening. “You’re drinking soft drinks all day,” Vaziri says. An example of a morning drink: a matcha latte with vanilla almond milk. “It’s a real pleasure, it gives you long-lasting energy and is healthy at the same time,” says Vaziri.

There are many more tips in the recently published beverage book “The best non-alcoholic drinks”. Manuel believes that you can also celebrate with soft drinks.

It doesn’t always have to be an Aperol Spritz

The shift towards soft drinks reflects a societal development. Since the corona epidemic, more and more people are engaged in so-called “mindful drinking”, roughly translated as “drinking in moderation.” Since then, the demand for non-alcoholic alternatives has been growing. Even Migros has been offering non-alcoholic gin, whiskey and spritz in elegant glass bottles since April 2021. Soft drinks are versatile and can be produced in different flavors and variants. So creativity has no limits.

Want an uncomplicated, non-alcoholic beverage? Manuel recommends two recipes from his new book for a fresh start to spring.

Ingredients for 1.2 liters:

½ cucumber

20 g arugula

1 lime

4 tablespoons elderberry syrup

1 pinch of salt

4 dl mineral water

Preparation: 10 minutes

Blend the cucumber and arugula in the blender for 15 seconds. Strain the liquid through cheesecloth and squeeze well. Squeeze the lime and mix the juice into the cucumber and arugula juice. Season with elderflower syrup and salt.

Fill the glasses with ice, pour 1 dl of cucumber and arugula juice into each, top with mineral water. Mix lightly and garnish with arugula.

Ingredients for the base 3 dl:

150 g frozen strawberries

80 grams of sugar

1 organic orange

1 liter of water

1 dl white balsamic vinegar, 4 to 5 percent acidic

2 teaspoons Szechuan black pepper

Preparation: 15 minutes – about 7 days of fermentation until ready to drink

Mix the strawberries with the sugar in a mason jar and shake vigorously for about 40 seconds. Leave for 1 hour at room temperature with the lid closed.

Shake the strawberry-sugar mixture vigorously. Wash the orange in hot water, grate the orange part of the peel finely. Add 1 teaspoon of orange zest, water, balsamic vinegar, and Szechuan pepper to the strawberry sugar.

Close the jar and shake well for about 5 minutes until the sugar dissolves.

Leave at room temperature for 7 days. Shake well for about 5 minutes every other day. On the seventh day, it is filtered and poured into a bottle. Store cold.

To serve, dilute 1 to 6 with mineral water.

Source : Blick