The whirlwind of drinks and merriment between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve is enough for many people to throw up their hands and say “I can’t drink another drop this month!” Dry January was officially started in 2012, and more and more people are getting on board. So we decided to look at a few of our childhood favorites for inspiration. Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan.
Winnie the Pooh is obsessed with honey! Immediately we thought it would be perfect in a Lemonade. So we have a Honey and Meyer Lemonade. Meyer Lemons tend to be a little less acidic, so we did a little extra juice rather than a straight 1:1 for acid and sugar ratio.
The Grand Pooh Bear
1 ½ cups meyer lemon juice
1 cup honey (we used clover honey)
6 cups water
Mix 1 cup of hot water with one cup of honey to loosen it up so that it mixes in the lemon juice better. Then mix all remaining ingredients in a pitcher. Refrigerate until chilled. Makes two quarts.
Now on to Neverland. We thought there were two options for this drink. Something sickly sweet like the medicine the children take or something related to the second star to the right, Peter’s home. We chose the second option. We decided to make a fruit syrup to mix in. The sweetness of the pear proves to be a lovely combination with the flavors of anise.
Pear and Star Anise Syrup
1 cup pear juice
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
2 Star Anise
2 whole cloves
Second Star to the Right Mocktail
Ice
1-2 ounces Pear syrup
10 oz Club soda
In a small saucepan over high heat, combine pear juice, sugar, water, cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and then lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, and then remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan and let steep an additional 10 minutes.Strain through a fine mesh strainer into an airtight container.. Set aside or refrigerate if not using immediately. The syrup will keep in the fridge for up to a month. To serve, fill a rocks glass with crushed ice, pour in one ounce of pear syrup, top with club soda. Stir gently to combine.