No-Proof (read: non-alcoholic) Cocktails don’t have to be boring. Using some cool science, our Cinnamon-Orange Brûlée makes the senses sing. Scroll down for recipe.

Celebrating the passage of time is common around the world: Birthdays, Retirement Parties, Baby Showers, Anniversaries, etc., but during these strange and difficult times in a world where a global pandemic has forced us into our homes and shuttered us away from friends, parks, and restaurants we love, the passage of time can feel…well, heavy.

Jake Sherbrooke, Jack Daniels Brand Ambassador, and I sat down on IG Live to discuss these weird times, and, of course, everything went philosophical.

We won’t bore you with all of the details, but it boiled down to this: Don’t lose hope. Keep planning for the future, and let’s start celebrating (again) the passage of time.

I know this is easier said than done, esp. If you had your big plans cancelled: A wedding, a new job, a move….But now more than ever, we need forward momentum and hope. We need to believe that this will end and there will be better days ahead.

Since we’re all locked in, let’s create something that both takes time, and you can enjoy the fruits of your labour at the end.

Let’s make a shrub.

CINNAMON-ORANGE SHRUB

Shrubs are made by combining fruits and vinegar (a solvent), and left to macerate for several days. The resulting liquid is strained and mixed with a sweetener, is reduced to make a syrup, and can be drank alone, or added to soda water or cocktails.

Ingredients:

• 1lb (about 2) medium-sized Oranges, sliced to 1/4 inch thick pieces

• 1 cup white sugar

• 3 Soft Cinnamon Sticks

• 1 cup Champagne Vinegar

Add the orange slices & sugar to a large vessel and close with a tight-sealing lid. Shake the oranges are covered in sugar. Let stand for 5 hours, stirring every two hours to make sure the sugar is well-combined.

Add the Champagne Vinegar and stir together with the sugar/oranges, dissolving as much as you can. Add the cinnamon sticks, make sure to bury them under the mixture, and let stand for 24 hours.

Strain and enjoy! Your shrub will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

Brûlée Lemon Rounds (the Garnish)

This cocktail is fabulous without the garnish, but the extra something is acheived with the caramelised aromas of tangy lemon, and the liquid underneath filtering through the burnt sugar, adding a hint of smoky sweetness.

You’ll Need:

• Lemon Rounds cut 1/4 inch thick

• White Sugar

• Paper or Kitchen Towel

• Metal Pan

• Kitchen Torch

Place 2-3 lemon rounds onto a paper towel, on a metal sheet pan. Place another piece of paper towel over top and let sit for 15 minutes, replacing the top paper towel after 8 minutes. This helps dry out the lemon rounds a bit.

Uncover the lemon rounds, remove the paper towel from underneath, and make sure they’re sitting directly on the metal pan.

Sprinkle a generous amount (around 1/2 Tbsp) of sugar on top of a lemon round (do one at a time), then turn on your kitchen torch and, holding the flame very close to the lemon, caramelise the edges and the top, creating a browning effect.

Let cool completely before using as a garnish.

CINNAMON-ORANGE SHRUB BRÛLÉE NO-PROOF COCKTAIL

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. Cinnamon-Orange Shrub

• Splash of Club Soda

• Brûlée’d (Caramelised) Lemon Round (for garnish)

Shake the shrub over ice, vigorously, for 12 seconds. Strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. Splash a bit of Club Soda on top (the sodium in the soda will help to balance all the flavours). Stir gently. Then top with the caramelised lemon round.