🍊 God's Own Orange Ruby

Lemongrass, Wilderton Lustre, rosso aperitif & orange blossom tonic — Copra SF

5 min
Citrus & Botanical
Tall glass over ice
Copra, San Francisco
0% ABV
Ingredients
  • 50ml Wilderton Lustre (NA spirit — available at Total Wine and naapologist.com)
  • 30ml non-alcoholic rosso aperitif (Martini Vibrante, Lyre's Aperitif Rosso, or Seedlip Spice)
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised (or 5ml lemongrass syrup)
  • 30ml fresh orange juice
  • 100ml orange blossom tonic water (Fever-Tree Aromatic or Q Elderflower Tonic + 3 drops orange blossom water)
  • Ice
  • Orange wheel & lemongrass tip to garnish
Method
  1. 1
    InfuseBruise lemongrass stalk and add to a shaker with ice. Add Wilderton Lustre and orange juice. Shake for 10 seconds.
  2. 2
    StrainDouble-strain into a tall glass over fresh ice.
  3. 3
    Add aperitifPour rosso aperitif over the back of a spoon to float it, or stir in directly.
  4. 4
    TopAdd orange blossom tonic gently.
  5. 5
    GarnishSlide an orange wheel onto the rim and rest a lemongrass stalk against the glass.

About This Drink

Copra (the name refers to dried coconut meat, the raw material for coconut oil) is chef Heena Patel's love letter to the coastal and diaspora cooking of India — a restaurant that moves between Goa, Kerala, Gujarat, and East Africa on a single menu. Their non-alcoholic cocktail list applies the same seriousness. God's Own Orange Ruby takes its name from a play on 'God's Own Country' (Kerala's tourism tagline) and the jewel-like colour of the drink. Wilderton Lustre is a non-alcoholic spirit with lemongrass, yuzu, and fresh citrus character. Rosso aperitif (non-alcoholic — likely Martini Vibrante or similar) adds bittersweet Italian depth. Orange blossom tonic closes with floral bubbles. Kerala meets aperitivo hour.

Bartender Tips

Wilderton Lustre is the most widely available of the lemongrass-forward NA spirits — Ritual Zero Proof Gin Alternative is a good substitute. For the tonic, Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic has natural notes of orange peel and angostura botanicals that work well here. The lemongrass infusion (even just 5 minutes) is what gives the drink its freshness.

Origin
Restaurant
Copra, San Francisco
Origin
Contemporary Indian, North Beach SF
Flavour
Citrus & Botanical · Easy
Related
🍹All 119 MocktailsBrowse all recipes 🇮🇳Indian CocktailsWith alcohol
Where to drink this
Restaurant
Copra
Address
1700 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115
Style
Modern Indian cuisine & cocktails
Accolades
Michelin Bib Gourmand · One of SF's most acclaimed Indian restaurants

A Pacific Heights gem where Indian flavours meet California produce. Copra's bar programme is built on house-made infusions and seasonal ingredients — jaggery, kokum, dried mango, fresh turmeric — interpreted through a California craft cocktail lens. The result is a drinks menu that feels simultaneously rooted in the subcontinent and completely native to San Francisco.

Visit coprasf.com