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Borrago for Dry January (or any sober day/week/month!)
Like many people, I feel that the New Year is a good time to break bad habits and instil some new better ones. I have to admit to being guilty of having a G&T when I get home from work, and then wine with dinner most evenings. I want to start only having alcohol if we are socialising at home, or are going out. So I’ve jumped on the ‘Dry January’ bandwagon. So far I’ve only strayed once, when out at a stunning new Indian restaurant in Chelsea, Kahani, with Fiona. I’m not saying that she’s a bad influence, but…
It can be hard though to find something non-alcoholic as a replacement, especially if like me you don’t particularly like sweet drinks. We were sent a bottle of Borrago to make some cocktails. It certainly seemed to tick all the boxes; no alcohol, no sugar, no fat and no calories, yet claiming to be a non-alcoholic spirit substitute for gin or vodka. I tasted a little of the Borrago neat, and it reminded me more of a Fernet Stock than either gin or vodka.
I started with a seasonal blood orange Borragotini made with the first blood oranges I’ve seen this year. I put ice, orange zest and the juice of one orange into a cocktail shaker, added 50ml of the Borrago, a little simple sugar syrup and gave it a good shake. After pouring I added just a dash of tonic water. This was like the first taste of spring. For a longer drink, you could use a champagne flute and add non-alcoholic sparkling wine to make a blood orange Borrago Buck’s Fizz.
I then thought that it’d be fun to try making a non-alcoholic espresso martini. This was simply 50ml of the Borrago, 50 ml of coffee cold brew concentrate, and 15 ml of sugar syrup, all shaken together over ice and garnished with 3 coffee beans. In retrospect, I think I’d only use 25-30ml of the Borrago as it’s quite a powerful taste.
I’d frozen an ice cube tray full of rhubarb puree in the summer, and used some of these in a non-alcoholic version of a Bellini. For this, I added 4 cubes of defrosted rhubarb puree to 50ml of the Borrago, mixed it, and then added soda water and stirred. Another time, I think that this would be better with a non-alcoholic sparkling wine and again, probably only 25- 30ml of Borrago.
For those interested in the background to this zero sugar, zero calories and zero alcohol drink, Borrago is a new botanical spirit created by Tom Tuke-Hastings who started off in food. He loves entertaining, but now that he has two small children and lives in the countryside, he decided it was important to have a drink that wouldn’t leave him with a hangover and would allow him and anyone visiting to drink something special and still be able to drive home. He set out to create a drink worth celebrating with. Borrago is named after borage, a beautiful herb with a bluey-purple edible flower which you may have seen in cocktails like this Pimms spritz. It has a cucumber taste and you can use the leaves to make soup or in salad too.
Here’s a printable version of our recipe for a non-alcoholic espresso martini.
An easy non-alcoholic espresso martini made with Borrago
- 25-50 ml Borrago
- 50 ml Cold coffee concentrate or chilled espresso
- 15 ml Simple Syrup made with 1 part sugar to 1 part water heated to just below boiling until the sugar dissolves
- 3 Coffee Beans
- Ice
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice
- Place all the ingredients except the coffee beans into the shaker
- Shake well for at least 30 seconds
- Strain and serve in a martini glass
- Garnish with 3 coffee beans
Borrago retails for £19.99 for a 500ml bottle, so really not too pricy! Do let me know in the comments what you’d make with a bottle of Borrago.
I’ve had non-alcoholic wine, beer and cider but not spirits so I’d love to try this.
Great recipe, I’ll have to give this a try. Thanks for the competition!
I think I’d love the Non-Alcoholic Espresso Martini! g
I’d adapt a French 75 cocktail to make it ‘Italian’ by switching Champagne for Prosecco and using Amalfi lemons!
I’d love to try the blood orange recipe
I would add espresso and top with spray cream and chocolate curls
I do love Blood oranges and that sounds amazing… not sure how I would make the cocktails more italian I am rubbish at putting flavours together but I am a great tester … hehe
I’d love to try the blood orange recipe x
Espresso Martini sounds delicious
your recipe sounds lovely and tasty, the coffee adds a decidedly italian touch for me
It contains coffee so this is right up my street and worth trying.
you got me at coffee
Add limoncello
I’d love to try this and see how it matches up to the alcoholic version!
I love the sound of the espresso martini
Booze free spirits? Sounds excellent!
This espresso martini recipe with none of the alcohol is exactly what I needed! Trying to go dry for my health 🙂
The one with Rhubarb Purée sounds delightful 💕🙌🏻
I think I’d try a virgin Tom Collins 🍸
I would add oranges sliced up and lots of ice
Id love to try your recipee – its great there are some non-alcoholic ones out there!
limoncello added would be great 🙂
the Borragotini sounds lovely and I think this is probably something I would make and enjoy
I like the sound of the one you made with rhubarb puree.
Add some limoncello
35ml Borrago #47 Paloma Blend. 25ml pink grapefruit juice. 20ml charred lemon juice. 15ml basil syrup. double Dutch pomegranate. basil tonic.
lovely prize
I love oranges. Citrus is v italian
Um… spaghetti????? (Misses the point completely.)
I would put some chopped fresh mint in it.
This looks lovely. When thinking of Italy Aperol comes to mind so would include that in some way
I think your version sounds lovely. I bet it’s very tasty
It sounds very sophisticated like most Italian things!
I love your version and can’t wait to try it!
Nothing says ‘Italy’ more than coffee (other than Pizza and that is never going to happen) so I would add coffee or coffee flavouring and I’d make sure the lemon juice used was from Sorrento lemons.
Sounds lush hopefully will get to make it
It sounds perfect
I think aperol with a twist would work well
I’d adapt a French 75 by swapping the champagne for Campari
I like your recipe its a little different
I would add Aperol 🙂
I would maybe use prosecco instead (I do love proseco!) I will definitely enjoy this cocktail
I’d drink it while eating amaretto biscuits!
I’d replace the champagne with Prosecco
By pairing it with some pizza pazza !!
Just add aperol to French 75 and it will be bellamisso italiano
I would add the juice of italian oranges
Just drinking it with a great vodka tomato penne dish would be perfect!
not tried this yet but def on my to drink list 🙂
I wouldn’t change anything , absolutely nothing. It looks Devine xxx
The recipe looks delicious – just perfect as it is
I actually would not want to change the recipe as it sounds lovely as it is
Your recipe looks divine, i will have to give it a try 🙂 I think refreshing but strong flavours make a fab italian cocktail x
I would add a little red wine to make italian!
Live the id as always. Ice to try something different
I’d add lemonchello instead for an Italian twist
SIMPLY devine espresso coffee all the way
I enjoy making porn star martinis so would try using this instead of vodka
I definitely agree with others, espresso coffee
The recipe sounds lovely and reminds me of the drinks I had myself in Italy!
Maybe Espresso coffee?
My daughter’s just turned 18 and her attitude to alcohol is so refreshing. She just doesn’t need it! The more delicious non alcoholic drinks available the better!
I would love this. I’d add an olive maybe but otherwise try with Grissini
i would add olives and take it with me next time my sister invites me to dinner x
i would add some herbs
I’d simply add an Italian olive on a cocktail stick and e voilà!
I’d add lemon juice and an olive
As a big fan of espresso martini, I love the sound of that cocktail. I’ll look out for Borrago because I don’t always want an alcoholic drink but I’m not keen on fizzy sugary soft drinks either.
Espresso coffee
Recipe sounds lovely – I’m pregnant so be nice to be able to have a cocktail 🙂
This looks so tasty and sunny like in Italy.
so romantic therefore so Italian
as abig coffee drinker this would make the perfect cocktail for me
Would add Amalfi lemons.
Normally wouldn’t go for something like this but this sounds great!
Will try your recipe: it sounds yummy!
espresso coffee would be added
Look amazing. I am 25 days into Dry January and really want to take it into February so this would be just the job.
Good quality liquor and fresh fruits make the perfect cocktails
id love to try this one as i love coffee mmm
i would love to try this recipe, sounds so refreshing
i can only drink gin or vodka with soda water..but always have a bit of fresh lime and mint
this sounds lovely! id love to try it with the sparkling wine. not very non alcoholic though haha
I am not really sure but it sounds lovely as it is! x
The espresso coffee makes this the perfect Iralian cocktail.
Probably make something like you did with orange juice
Always dislike the strong alcoholic kick in an expresso martini, this sound like it may be my answer
Add a little Italian flag…
would add Amalfi lemons
I would add Amalfi lemons
I’d probably add a little red wine to make it a little italian!
I love non-alcoholic cocktails and your recipes look great! I’d like to try it with pink lemonade and non-alcoholic wine to make an Italian cocktail
I would probably add ginger ale to make it ‘Italian’.
Although I am not a coffee lover, I’ll be sure to give it a try
I would add Amalfi lemons as they would add a refreshing twist.
I know a few friends doing dry January who’d love to give this recipe a try. Sounds tasty.
Love the recipe. It’s always nice to try alternatives.