The NA Deborah
No alcohol, simple to make, actually good
At Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA there’s a bartender named Deborah. Because she works in one of the premium lounge areas, Deborah has the wherewithal to dispense premium spirits at the low, low cost of free. Years ago, she used this ability to offer up an alternative to a basic Jack & Diet. It involved Eagle Rare bourbon, Angostura bitters, Coke, and a fresh lemon. Myself and
have been calling it the “Deborah” cocktail and making variants of it ever since.One recent variant is the NA Deborah, a deceptively simple non-alcoholic cocktail that has surprising complexity, balance, and depth. If you were to serve this drink to someone and not tell them what’s in it, I can almost guarantee they’d assume it has alcohol. (OK, fine, there’s a small amount of alcohol from the Angostura bitters, but at a low enough volume to still be technically NA.)
It’s also extremely easy and quick to make — so much so that I’ve found myself absolutely ripping through my store of lemons to make one after another of these. As cocktails go, it ain’t exactly high art, but it’s damn tasty.
NA Deborah
8-10 dashes Angostura bitters
¼ lemon
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
Fill a double old-fashioned glass with crushed or nugget ice. Add bitters. Squeeze the lemon over the ice and nestle it into the glass. Pour Coca-Cola to fill.
☞ Alan Joyce & Jonathan Terleski / The Sunken Galley, inspired by Deborah / Levi’s Stadium