“I needed more of my coffee and tea knowledge than my cocktail knowledge to make this drink,” says Vince Bright, of his non-alcoholic Lowtide Lifesaver that features on Lost Lake’s most recent menu. Moroccan mint tea syrup pairs with grenadine as the sweetening agents, complementing the Seedlip Spice 94 base, a clove-forward distillate, and the ginger beer topper. A squeeze of lemon juice offers a hit of acid, all served over crushed ice for a layered, complex refreshment. “I have some friends who don’t drink, so it was always important to me that when they come in, they have a drink that isn’t just kind of pushed to the side,” says Bright.
Lowtide Lifesaver
Vince Bright, Lost Lake | Chicago
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 2 ounces Seedlip Spice
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 3/4 ounce grenadine
- 1/2 ounce mint tea syrup (see Editor’s Note)
- Fever Tree ginger beer
Garnish: mint
Directions
- Combine all ingredients, except the ginger beer, in a mixing tin and shake with ice.
- Strain into a Collins glass over ice.
- Top with ginger beer.
- Garnish with mint.
Editor's Note
Mint Tea Syrup:
25 grams mint tea, preferably Intelligentsia Moroccan Mint
2 cups hot water
2 cups sugar
Steep the tea in the hot water for 10 minutes. Strain the tea leaves out, then add the sugar and stir until dissolved.