This bubbly, just-slightly-bitter Winter Spiced Orange Mocktail is the perfect non-alcoholic aperitif to enjoy before dinner! It's made from a squash (the cordial drink, not the vegetable!) flavored with orange, cinnamon, anise, and allspice.

Photography Credit: Elana Lepkowski

Just because the holidays are over, don’t tuck away those baking spices yet! This bubbly, non-alcoholic squash mocktail infuses sweet and bitter oranges with rich, warm baking spices for a fresh take on an aperitif.

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WHAT IS A SQUASH MOCKTAIL?

Do you know what a squash is? No, not the vegetable! I’m talking about the beverage “squash,” a non-alcoholic concentrated syrup made from sugar, water, and fruit juice that is typically mixed with carbonated water (for a mocktail) or alcohol (for a cocktail). You can also think of squash as a cordial, or just a fruity syrup!

The squash, or syrup, in this drink is made from Seville oranges, which impart a sour and slightly bitter taste. The syrup gives a bittersweet flavor to the drink, making this squash mocktail a lively start to your meal!

WHAT IS AN APERITIF?

An aperitif is a pre-dinner drink, as opposed to a digestif (which is an after-dinner drink), and are thought to stimulate the appetite. Aperitifs are not sweet, nor are they very high in alcohol.

Common aperitifs include dry white wines, champagne, dry vermouth, and spirits that lean towards bitter. They are usually alcoholic, but if you are abstaining, this bubbly, slightly bitter mocktail will do the job of awakening your appetite.

WHAT SPICES TO USE FOR THIS SQUASH MOCKTAIL

In this drink, I use warm baking spices to compliment the bitter orange from the Seville orange squash syrup. Cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and allspice are all energizing spices—they’ll perk up your palate! You can use them whole or lightly crushed to release more aromas when making the syrup. You can find bulk spices in many local markets; it’s often cheaper to buy them this way.

OTHER USES FOR THE BITTER ORANGE AND SPICE SQUASH SYRUP

This Bitter Orange and Spice Squash Syrup should be kept refrigerated and will last at least a month in an airtight container. It’s delicious as a sweetener for black tea, added to a hot toddy, or as a syrup for soaking an orange loaf cake. If you are drinking alcohol this month, try adding 1/2 to 3/4 ounce of the syrup to a margarita.

SUGGESTIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

Spices: If whole spices are not available where you are, two tablespoons of ground pumpkin pie spice (which includes most of these spices) will also work. If you use ground spices, the syrup will need to be finely strained at the end of the steeping period. I find a coffee filter works very well when I am straining ground spices.

If whole spices are not available where you are, two tablespoons of ground pumpkin pie spice (which includes most of these spices) will also work. If you use ground spices, the syrup will need to be finely strained at the end of the steeping period. I find a coffee filter works very well when I am straining ground spices. Orange bitters: This recipe calls for a dash of orange bitters to add to the flavor of the drink. However, if you choose not to (or cannot) have alcohol in any amount, expressing orange oil from the peel of the orange adds a very aromatic, albeit less bitter, aroma and taste to the drink.

This recipe calls for a dash of orange bitters to add to the flavor of the drink. However, if you choose not to (or cannot) have alcohol in any amount, expressing orange oil from the peel of the orange adds a very aromatic, albeit less bitter, aroma and taste to the drink. Seville oranges: If Seville, or bitter flavored oranges, are not available near you, sweeter oranges may be substituted. In this case, increase the orange bitters to two to three dashes, if you are using them.

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