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Ode to Saint Rita

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Alicia Maryott’s non-alcoholic S’eeklóoxú cocktail on the bar at In Bocca Al Lupo in Juneau, featuring zero proof whiskey, rhubarb shrub, soda, and lemon.

Alcohol-free Cocktails from Dzantik’i Heeni, or Juneau
 

I LOVE SHRUBS. They’re versatile and great for saving borderline “bad” produce. They also keep well, longer than syrups. This basic shrub recipe can be used for the rhubarb shrub in the S’eeklóoxú recipe, below, or with any fruit, vegetable, or herb and spice combination. We always have a “shrub and soda” on the menu at In Bocca Al Lupo, where I work, that changes every few weeks, so you get to try something new regularly. Many of the shrubs at Lupo use up surplus fruit or produce that might otherwise go to waste. There’s a spiced blood orange shrub recipe from Bon Appétit that first turned me on to shrubs. I’ve never looked back.

A note on sourcing: in Juneau, Amalga Distillery carries quite a few zero proof spirits. They’re just not always on display, so ask! They also sell some mocktails in house. In Bocca Al Lupo in Juneau recently collaborated with Amalga and combined my house-made non-alcoholic gin with Amalga’s tonic. The batched cocktail is currently on tap at Lupo. Elsewhere, you can find zero proof spirits at liquor stores, including La Bodega in Anchorage.

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Makes about a quart of shrub
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(Lingít for “bear piss,” or black bear urine) I don’t think bears actually eat rhubarb. I was just having fun with the language and couldn’t figure out how to say Tlingit Powerade, so bear piss it is. While it’s no longer rhubarb season, some people (like my mom) grow so much of it in the summer, they have to put some up for winter by freezing it or making syrups and shrubs with it.
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I’d like to dedicate this drink to Amaurluq Bamiovan/Rita Blumenstein, a Yup’ik doctor and healer who passed away in August of 2021. She is an inspiration to countless ethnobotanists, plant nerds, healers, and practitioners of traditional medicine. I don’t know if she would have liked this drink, but I like to think there are some health benefits from the elderflower and spruce tips. Quyana/gunalchéesh, Rita, for clearing the pathway to wellness and light. This drink reminds me of a margarita, but omit the tequila, add local plants, and you have an Alaskan Saint Rita. Omit the bitters for a completely alcohol-free drink. A note about the elderflower syrup: you can make your own. A LOT grows “out the road” in Juneau in the spring, or you can buy it bottled. I like the Monin brand, which you can buy online if you can’t bribe a coffee shop into selling you a bottle. I hate salting rims—it’s not a strong suit of mine—so I like to chill the glasses ahead of time to help the salt-sugar stick to the rim as opposed to first wetting it with citrus.
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(Lingít for winter medicine) Blood oranges and cranberries always make me think of winter. This recipe, in particular, I made with my own house-made non-alcoholic gin which is heavy on the botanicals, so it has more of a winter spice flavor to it. But you can use any non-alcoholic gin. My favorite store bought brand is Monday.

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