Looking for an alcohol free tipple for New Year celebrations and leisurely days of summer? Kate McIntyre from Moorooduc Estate suggested these refreshing drinks (with a tweak here and there) made with the Estate’s own verjus. Verjus is an unfermented grape juice that adds a lovely sharpness. It’s alcohol free and thirst quenching. I’ve also suggested making some pretty ice cubes filled with mint leaves or berries for the celebration fun too.

Look-a-like Mojito

5-6 mint leaves

1 teaspoon castor sugar

80ml verjus

30ml lime juice (use extra verjus if no limes available)

soda water

ice, to serve

Place 5-6 mint leaves in the base of a tall glass. Sprinkle over the sugar and a tablespoon of verjus. Gently muddle together to just bruise the leaves and dissolve the sugar (for those without a muddler the end of a wooden spoon does the job). Fill a glass loosely with ice. Pour in verjus, then top with the soda water. Serve straight away.

Look-a-like Bramble with Strawberry

makes one drink

2 poached strawberry halves (see recipe below), or half a fresh strawberry

90ml Moorooduc Estate verjus

30ml lemon juice

30ml strawberry verjus syrup (see recipe below), or Torello Farm strawberry & cardamom cordial

ice

Fill a tall glass with ice.

Muddle the poached strawberry pieces in the base of a cocktail shaker. Add ice to fill the shaker. Add the verjus, lemon juice and strawberry syrup or cordial. Cover with the strainer and lid then shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Remove the lid and pour into prepared glass. Alternatively, if you don’t have a shaker, use a jug instead. Stir well, then pour through a small strainer into glass. Serve straight away.

Option: a berry cordial like Ribena can also be used instead of strawberry syrup

Strawberry Syrup

makes about 125ml

½ cup castor sugar

80ml (1/3 cup) Moorooduc Estate verjuice

125g strawberries, hulled, quartered

Combine the sugar and verjuice in a small saucepan over a medium heat for 3 minutes, or until it comes to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from the heat, then add the strawberries and gently stir to coat in syrup. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Verjus, bitters and soda (or lemonade)

makes one drink

Fill a tall glass with ice. Add a dash of bitters. Pour in enough verjus to fill one-third full and top two-thirds with soda water or lemonade.

Ice cubes with mint leaves or strawberries

Place mint leaves, or strawberry halves in each hole of an ice tray. Fill with water and transfer to the freezer for four hours, or until frozen.

Recipe by Fiona Hammond, December 2021

NEW YEAR MOCKTAILS