After the bacchanalia of the holidays, many folks opt to cork the bottle on January. For those keeping dry this month, Wild Common has a special spirit-free menu that goes well beyond the club soda and lime of yesteryear.
[content-1]
WC is offering both zero-proof wine selections by the glass and non-alcoholic options as pairings for the food menu. The dry cocktails ($11-$13) include the Safe Sunrise, Brooklyn Calling, and Plucked.
“Non-alcoholic drinks usually suffer in two ways,” says Wild Common general manager Simon Stilwell. “No burn from the alcohol and a lack of body. You can add sugar to get body, but it also adds sweetness which isn’t always wanted. In those cases, we use xantham gum to thicken the liquid to impart the mouthfeel we are looking for. While it may seem like a pain to make the infusion or tea, once you have it the possibilities are endless.”
Here’s how to make two of those at first complicated but infinitely rewarding concoctions at home:
Safe Sunrise
1.5 oz passion fruit puree
0.5 oz chili syrup
0.5 oz ginger syrup
2.5 oz. Raumland alcohol free sparkling wine
0.5 oz hibiscus infusion*
Mix passionfruit and syrups and pour int a Champagne flute. Slowly add Raumland (or club soda, ginger ale). When ready to serve, float 0.5 oz of hibiscus infusion on top.
Brooklyn Calling
2 oz “overproof tea” **
1 oz Proteau Ludlow
3 dashes house zero proof bitters (can sub Angostura bitters)
Assemble like a classic Manhattan, stir with ice, strain into a coupe and garnish with an orange twist and Maraschino cherry.
*Hibiscus infusion
28 grams dried hibiscus flowers; 1,700 grams water; 13.6 grams xantham gum
**Overproof Tea
Use the same recipe as the infusion but swap out dried hibiscus flowers for 28 grams of smoked Assam tea or Lapsang Souchong
[location-1] Stay cool. Support City Paper. City Paper has been bringing the best news, food, arts, music and event coverage to the Holy City since 1997. Support our continued efforts to highlight the best of Charleston with a one-time donation or become a member of the City Paper Club.
