When B.C.-based bartender Kaitlyn Stewart started her career 20 years ago, she didn’t actually drink alcohol. To this day, many of her closest loved ones don’t imbibe. So it’s fair to say she knows the value of a really good zero-proof drink.
This knowledge also shows through her many impressive accolades. She was the first-ever Canadian (and second woman) to be crowned World Class Global Bartender of the Year in 2017. She has written and consulted on cocktail menus around the world, and has a following of over 700,000 people on TikTok and Instagram.
“When I go into a restaurant or cocktail venue, I first look at what non-alcoholic drinks are on the menu because they could be shutting out a big demographic of people who want to feel like as much care and attention have gone into their drinks as everybody else’s,” says Stewart.
This sentiment is something Stewart kept close to her heart when working on her debut book, Three Cheers. It was released on October 7.
The story behind Three Cheers
Described as “a love letter to cocktails in all their forms,” the book lets Stewart’s impressive know-how and creativity shine. In it, she highlights 55 classic cocktail recipes. Each is accompanied by an alcohol-free version and a version with a fun twist.
“I really wanted to put all three cocktail formats on the same footing,” says Stewart. “All of the recipes in the book have been created equally. I want somebody to pick it up and be like, ‘I’m kind of feeling something Negroni-esque, but I don’t feel like drinking [alcohol], so what can I have instead?’”
When it came to deciding which drinks would appear in the book, Stewart wanted there to be balance. A mix of the old reliables—stirred-down drinks, tropical concoctions, quintessential sours—with retro sips that aren’t as well known but still approachable. Think the Knickerbocker, a rum punch created in 1862.
Recipes in Three Cheers
In developing her own riffs and zero-proof sips, she had to figure out where to stay faithful and where to be playful and free. “A lot of classic cocktails are basically just templates,” she says. Stewart explained that something like an old-fashioned is basically just a spirit plus sugar, plus bitters, plus water. The latter comes from stirring the drink with ice.
“When twisting these classics, I didn’t want to stray too, too far, but I wanted to take some liberties to make them just as interesting. So if I was playing around with the classic formula of a sour, I knew that I could do a spirit, a sweetener and a citrus—but those could be anything.”
It was the same process for the non-alcoholic drinks. Stewart embraced the fact that the recipes probably couldn’t recreate the OG cocktail’s flavour but could mimic the experience on the sipper’s palate. Here, she leaned on the growing market of non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs while experimenting with a variety of teas.
Aside from treating each cocktail format with the same level of respect, there was another important thing Stewart considered. With Three Cheers, she hoped that anyone, regardless of experience level and bar cart tools, would be able to make each recipe at home.
“I was really intentional with these recipes,” she says. “I could have gotten really geeky with them, but then it would be for the 1 percent of people who actually want to go out and spend a bunch of money on obscure liqueurs and utensils. I’ve obviously got a massive back bar at home, but I don’t expect everybody to.”
Kaitlyn Stewart’s tips for making cocktails at home
1. Pick and choose
With an abundance of choice, knowing what exactly to stock in your bar cart can be a challenge. But Stewart says you don’t have to overthink it.
“Pick your three favourite cocktails, and go from there, because a lot of those cocktails are also bases for other things,” she says. So if you love a margarita, a negroni and a daiquiri, make sure you have the required ingredients to make those.
From there, she says you can try different combinations with the bottles you now have handy. So three basic recipes can turn into infinite possibilities. “Stick with what you love, start building and have some fun playing around.”
2. Less is more
Now you have your go-to ingredients, but how do you navigate balance, flavour profiles and all the other considerations that go into a tasty drink? “Take the less-is-more approach,” says Stewart. “You can always add to something, but you can never take away.”
“A lot of classic cocktails that have been around for hundreds of years have a pretty basic framework with, like, three or four ingredients max—and, obviously, they stand the test of time. If you start overcomplicating things, then they will get muddy and end up a mess.”
3. Stick to the fundamentals
While Stewart definitely doesn’t want you to go out and buy any special equipment, she does say that there are a few essential bar tools that everyone should have if they intend to mix drinks on a somewhat regular basis.
First is a shaker. That could be a two-piece (called a Boston shaker) or a three-piece with a built-in strainer (a Cobbler shaker). It is used to combine ingredients and as a mixing glass. You should also have a jigger. Measurements are really important if you’re doing something more complicated than, say, a vodka soda.
“With those two things, you’re pretty set,” says Stewart. She adds that you can always use utensils you already have in place of things you might not. Like, a chopstick instead of an elongated bar spoon. “Also, get a hand juicer—fresh juice is always best when it comes to cocktails, and it makes a difference when you use bottled.”
Drink recipes by Kaitlyn Stewart
Discover the timeless allure of the Sex on the Beach cocktail. A vibrant mix of vodka, peach schnapps, crème de cassis, orange and cranberry juices.
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Discover the timeless allure of the Sex on the Beach cocktail. A vibrant mix of vodka, peach schnapps, crème de cassis, orange and cranberry juices.
Get the recipe
This is a riff on a Sex on the Beach cocktail.
Get the recipe
This is a riff on a Sex on the Beach cocktail.
Get the recipe
This non-alcoholic cocktail is a riff on the classic Sex on the Beach.
Get the recipe
This non-alcoholic cocktail is a riff on the classic Sex on the Beach.
Get the recipe
This is a non-alcoholic version of a classic bramble.
Get the recipe
This is a non-alcoholic version of a classic bramble.
Get the recipe
