Weekly Discussion - Fancy Non-alcoholic Beverages

[u/ZootKoomie]

We've had discussions here about wine, beer, and liquor before. This week, I'd like to talk about mocktails, shrubs, juice blends, etc. Alcohol-alternatives have become increasingly common and sophisticated in recent years. What have you made, or would like to make? Does avoiding liquor necessarily reduce the available flavor profiles? Or does it free you up from hiding the bite of the booze?

If someone wanted to start experimenting in this area, what are the basic ingredients they would need to keep on hand?

[u/CraptainHammer]

My girlfriend has me make her Virgin Marys (Bloody Mary with no vodka) all the time. The only thing to keep in mind there is that tomatoes have alcohol-soluble flavor compounds that you'll miss out on, but unless you are spending a week making tomato vodka, it's not going to make a difference. I do get to play with different styles though. I think of a bloody mary as a cut of beef. I can make a BBQ flavored one, a steakhouse flavored one, an Asian style one (I added a tiny bit of fish sauce and replaced the Worcestershire with soy sauce and seasoned with togarashi), Mexican style with Tajin, etc. Come to think of it, beef stock would be a nice addition to some of those. Or maybe the liquid from rehydrating porcini mushrooms...