The Most Interesting New Aperitif Doesn't Have Any Alcohol

有各种各样的原因,人们不喝。Sometimes it’s temporary; sometimes it’s a lifestyle. While somenon-alcoholic mixed drinks(don’t call it a mocktail) have become increasingly popular in recent years, a standalone bottled beverage, with all the complexity and nuance of, say, agreat wine或鸡尾酒，尚未出现。到现在。

MeetProteau, a new nonalcoholic botanical aperitif developed by John deBary, Momofuku’s longtime bar director and a former bartender at PDT in New York. The first incarnation, called Ludlow Red, is made primarily of blackberry juice, with hints of fig vinegar, chrysanthemum, black pepper, and licorice root. It has the same deep ruby hue as wine and sits smoothly and richly on the palate. Proteau is meant to be enjoyed straight from the bottle, no mixing or pouring over ice necessary. deBary recommends chilling it, then allowing it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes. That said, he’s also enjoyed it hot, like a toddy, or with soda water, as a spritz.

从一开始，Debary就开始创造一些不寻常的东西。他告诉我：“无论其他人在做什么，我都会尝试做……不是那样。”“One of the biggest reasons I wanted to make this is because there’s such a lack of credible nonalcoholic drinks—that’s changing, but it’s still nowhere near the craft renaissance we’ve seen in wine, beer, and spirits.”To create Proteau, deBary utilized his knowledge from years of mixing cocktails—focusing on balance, flavor, and complexity—and the availability of global ingredients in his home base of New York, trawling international markets like Kalustyan’s for inspiration.

He knew from industry experience that plenty of bartenders and sommeliers don’t drink at all. “Drinking is such a part of the job, it’s nice to have an option to step back to that doesn’t sacrificeinterestingness,” deBary said. “A lot of mocktails or nonalcoholic sodas are really sweet or acidic, and it’s really nice to have something a little more moody and mysterious, with a smooth texture. Most non-drinkers don’t even realize that’s what they’re missing until they try it, and then it’s like,oh my god, where have you been?!”

At the moment, deBary is only making one variant, the Ludlow Red, but he has plans for a light, sparkling version akin to a spritz set for release this spring. “The structure of everything I make will be based around botanicals, fruit flavors, something bitter, something floral, and a bit of fancy vinegar,” he says. “I’ll use that formula with different ingredients to create things that are lighter, darker, heavier, smoother, and so on, building out this world from different plants and seeing where it takes me.”

Proteau的标语是“享乐之饮”，这是故意的。“我认为很多人将非酒精饮料与反享乐主义联系起来，或者与似乎有点悲伤或更小的东西相关的东西。我的目标是证明您可以用与口感相同的烹饪完整性，复杂性和持久性制作非酒精饮料。” Debary说。他强调Proteau不打算作为酒精饮料的替代或复制品。“这本来应该是自己的事，它本来是美味的。”

Ludlow Red is available in a limited-release two-bottle pack在线的and is being sold in New York at restaurants like Gramercy Tavern, Momofuku Ko, Dirt Candy, and ACME, among others. California distribution isavailablenow, with plans to go national shortly thereafter.