High Plains Drifter No. 1

Name: High Plains Drifter No. 1 (Non‑Alcoholic)
Ingredients: The Spirit of Aperitivo Milano, for rinsing; 2 oz The Spirit of Tequila; ¾ oz fresh lime juice; ¾ oz honey syrup*; Combine equal parts honey and warm water and stir until fully incorporated. Allow to cool before using. Store refrigerated in a sealed container.

The High Plains Drifter No. 1 is a tequila, lime, and honey sour with one particularly good trick: a bitter aperitivo rinse.

The Spirit of Tequila leads, with fresh lime providing the acid and honey syrup adding sweetness and body. Aromatic bitters bring spice, while a rinse of The Spirit of Aperitivo Milano coats the glass with bitter citrus and botanicals.

That rinse changes the drink from the outside in. Bitter and aromatic at first, then bright, honeyed, and agave-driven underneath.

High Plains Drifter No. 1 (Non‑Alcoholic)

The Free Spirits Innovation Lab

Ingredients

The Spirit of Aperitivo Milano, for rinsing
2 oz The Spirit of Tequila
¾ oz fresh lime juice
¾ oz honey syrup*
Combine equal parts honey and warm water and stir until fully incorporated. Allow to cool before using. Store refrigerated in a sealed container.

Method

Add a small amount of The Spirit of Aperitivo Milano to a chilled coupe and swirl to coat the interior. Discard the excess.
Add The Spirit of Tequila, fresh lime juice, honey syrup, and aromatic bitters to a shaker with ice.
Shake until well chilled.
Double strain into the prepared coupe.

Honey Syrup* (2:1)

Combine ⅔ cup mild honey and ⅓ cup warm water and stir until fully incorporated. Allow to cool before using. Store refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 2 months.

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Why This Works

The Spirit of Tequila provides the agave, pepper, and oak character at the center of the drink. Honey does more than sweeten it, adding body and roundness against the fresh lime, while aromatic bitters contribute spice and length.

The Spirit of Aperitivo Milano works differently. Used as a rinse rather than shaken into the cocktail, its bitter citrus and botanicals sit around the edges of the glass. You encounter that bitterness first, followed by The Spirit of Tequila, lime, and honey underneath.

It is a small technique that gives a straightforward sour considerably more dimension.

About Free Spirits

The Spirit of Tequila

The Spirit of Tequila is made with real Blue Agave and modeled on the depth and balance of a Reposado. It shows warm oak and gentle vanilla with a clean pepper heat and subtle smokiness that work naturally in agave-based cocktails. In mixed drinks, it has the presence to hold up to citrus, the structure to balance sweetness, and the clarity to stay defined when combined with stronger flavors.

It performs reliably in Margaritas, Palomas, Ranch Waters, and any build that expects an agave spirit with enough character to stay present.

Following the Trail

We first encountered this style of cocktail at Allen & Delancey in New York, where Alex Day’s Jalisco Trail No. 1 combined tequila, honey, lime, Angostura bitters, and a bitter aperitivo rinse.

A few years later, Chris Hannah, when he was at Arnaud’s French 75 Bar, served us his Smokey Hollander and recommended the 75th Anniversary edition of Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s Guide. His Smokey Hollander appears in the book, but another recipe stopped us in our tracks: the High Plains Drifter No. 1.

The connection to the Jalisco Trail was immediate. Tequila, lime, honey, bitters, and that bitter rinse around the glass. Different names, remarkably similar ideas.

The origins of the High Plains Drifter itself are harder to pin down. The cocktail appears in the 2009 edition of Mr. Boston and was also being served at Oakland’s Boot and Shoe Service that year, but we haven’t found a reliable source identifying its creator. The name appears to nod to Clint Eastwood’s 1973 Western, High Plains Drifter, which gives this tequila-driven cocktail an appropriately dusty bit of Americana, though anyone who came of age on Paul’s Boutique may hear a Beastie Boys reference in there too.

But we digress... cocktails have a way of leaving trails like this. One drink leads to a bar, a bartender, a book, an old Western, and eventually another drink you recognize years later.

Our version follows the same trail with The Spirit of Tequila and a rinse of The Spirit of Aperitivo Milano.

Zero-Proof Cocktail Basics

What is a zero-proof cocktail?

A zero-proof cocktail is a fully built drink that follows the same principles as any classic: acid, sweetness, aromatics, dilution, and a defined base spirit. The difference is the base is non-alcoholic. When that spirit has enough structure and character, like the ones we make, you get a cocktail that drinks like a cocktail, not a compromise.

How do non-alcoholic spirits work in classic cocktail recipes?

Non-alcoholic spirits step into the role of the base spirit. They carry citrus, sugar, bitters, and dilution the same way their alcoholic counterparts do. Some recipes need small ratio adjustments, but the technique stays the same: build the drink, balance the elements, and let the base spirit define the profile.

Do zero-proof cocktails taste like the originals?

They taste like cocktails: recognizable, structured, and intentional. The goal isn't imitation; it's integrity. When the build is balanced and the spirit has presence, you get the character of the drink without relying on alcohol to do the work.

Can zero-proof cocktails have real complexity?

Yes. Complexity comes from design, not ethanol. A well-built zero-proof cocktail shows layers: aromatics, texture, finish. The craft sits in the composition, not the ABV. The right non-alcoholic spirit brings the structure; the ingredients do the rest.

What is the difference between zero-proof and low-proof cocktails?

Zero-proof cocktails contain no alcohol. Low-proof cocktails blend traditional spirits with non-alcoholic spirits to dial down the ABV while keeping the drink's identity intact. It's the easiest way to keep the ritual, cut the intensity, and stay in full control of the experience.

Why does Free Spirits work so well in both zero-proof and low-proof cocktails?

The Spirit of Tequila is built with agave-forward aromatics and enough body to hold citrus and sweetness in balance. Whether you use it as the sole base or split it with traditional tequila, it behaves like a true cocktail foundation, keeping the drink bright, structured, and unmistakably itself.