The weekday lunch wears many hats. It can provide a dose of socialization after too much time trapped in a cubicle. Or it’s the opposite, a much-needed reprieve from other people where you crack open a paperback in the park. Or perhaps you just landed a big client and want to mark the occasion with a celebratory drink. A cocktail can be the perfect accompaniment to any of these mid-day reprieves. The only downside is that post-lunchtime slump. But with these non-alcoholic cocktails, you can breathe life into your weekday lunches, without the 3pm crash.
Ritualtini
The three martini lunch was popularized by ad execs on Madison Avenue in the 60s and 70s. But you don’t have to snag a table at Manhattan’s hottest lunch spot to enjoy one of your own. Go ahead and shake up a batch of martinis for yourself from the comfort of your own home. The Ritualtini is our take on the classic Gin Martini, substituting Ritual Gin Alternative for the booze. Now you can indulge in a three martini lunch, without having to face down the rest of the day with a buzz.
3 oz. Ritual Gin Alternative
1/2 oz. unsweetened white grape juice (low abv: dry vermouth)
Olives, lemon twist or cocktail onion
Fill a shaker with ice, Ritual and white grape juice. (Make it dirty with 1/2 oz. olive brine.) Shake or stir according to your preference. Strain into a chilled glass. Add garnish of your choice.
Bloody Maria
Nothing snaps you out of a mid-day funk like a spiced-up Bloody Mary. In this tequila-based version, we put a south-of-the-border spin on the traditional vodka or gin bloody, using our tequila replacement instead of the hard stuff. Garnish with a roasted jalapeño, chorizo, and/or quesadilla, and you’ve got lunch and a drink in the same glass.
2 oz. Ritual Tequila Alternative
4 oz. tomato juice
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
A few dashes of Tapatio or Cholula hot sauce, to taste
2 tsp prepared horseradish
1 lime wedge
1 pinch chipotle salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 pinch smoked paprika
Celery stalk for garnish
Roll the moistened rim of a pint glass in chipotle salt. Set aside. Squeeze the lime wedge into a shaker with ice. Add the remaining ingredients and shake. Strain into prepared pint glass with ice. Garnish with your favorite snacks.
Lemon Squeeze
Work giving you lemons? Make a Lemon Squeeze. The sister cocktail to the Lime Squeeze, this shock of citrus will shake up your afternoon. We make ours zero proof using our whiskey substitute. That way you can enjoy your break from the grind, then pick up right where you left off.
4 oz. Ritual Whiskey Alternative
2 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. water
1/2 oz. simple syrup
3 dashes bitters
1 drop peppermint extract
Mint leaves, fresh and dried lemon wheels
Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice. Pour into a tall glass with additional ice and garnish with mint leaves, fresh and dried lime wheels.
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