Spicy Lemon Sour Mocktail

What makes a drink sophisticated and adult minus the alcohol? Getting crafty with ingredients. This spicy lemon sour includes cayenne pepper simple syrup for a kick and is shaken with aquafaba for a creamy finish.

I’ve noticed a few drink companies in Europe make adult nonalcoholic beverages with a spicy element. It’s alluring, cuts sweetness, and stimulating. This drink is made spicy and orange by adding cayenne pepper to simple syrup.

And aquafaba? One time I tried to make a sour shaken with raw egg white at home. It was fun, until I drank a little raw egg goo. I never tried that again. This drink is shaken with aquafaba—the water leftover in a can of garbanzo or white beans. Vegans use aquafaba in place of eggs in meringues or cakes. Here, it is shaken with the drink ingredients to create a smooth creamy finish and foam. It is pretty neutral in flavor, plus it helps round the drink out.

Recipe:

3 tablespoons aquafaba

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons cayenne simple syrup

Add aquafaba to a shaker and shake it up! Add lemon juice, simple syrup and 1 tablespoon water. Shake vigorously, at least 20 times to aerate. Add ice and shake some more. Pour into a glass with a long pour. Top with bitters for art’s sake, if desired.

Cayenne Simple Syrup

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

Boil water, add sugar and whisk until dissolved. Add cayenne pepper and mix. Let cool, and strain into a bottle or jar.