Psychedelic Backyard

If you aren't using verjus to upgrade your non-alcoholic cocktail game, you've been missing out. Made by pressing unripe wine grapes that are harvested early in the growing season, verjus is one of our favorite ingredients for marinades and deglazing, but it's also a delightfully acidic addition to mixed drinks. In the Psychedelic Backyard, a non-alcoholic cocktail recipe from mixologist and author John deBary, it plays an especially critical role in balancing the sweetness of a fresh banana slice and the spicy notes of jalapeño to create a well-rounded drink that feels just as appropriate for serving at brunch as it does for batching to bring along to a park day.

When making the raspberry syrup for this cocktail, be sure to use fresh raspberries instead of frozen, which will release extra, unwanted moisture and upset the balance of your syrup. While this recipe calls for a coarse salt rim, you can also experiment with creative additions like Margarita salt and flavored sugars. Just know that the garnish you choose will ultimately impact the overall flavor profile of the drink, as you'll get a little bit of it with every sip you take.