Bushwick Thirst Killer

A new twist on a classic but underutilized form, The Bushwick Thirst Killer is an homage to an old drink: the Japanese Thirst Killer. That historic and mostly forgotten recipe is a unique example of the style of drink known as a phosphate. Once served alongside the rickeys, egg creams, and shakes that remain icons of the classic soda fountain, phosphates combined flavored syrup, cold soda water, and sometimes fresh juice along with their namesake ingredient. Widely available again today, acid phosphate is a shelf-stable souring agent that can stand in for citrus but without all the flavors unique to those fruits.

Classic phosphates were mostly served without ice, and you can make the Bushwick Thirst Killer in a retro style, but I prefer this drink made with the comforts of modern refrigeration. Simply combine coconut water, raspberry syrup, Peychaud’s bitters, and a teaspoon of phosphate over ice and soda and give a good stir for a refreshing (very) low-ABV cooler. The only element here with alcohol is the bitters—so the final drink has about the same ABV as a non-alcoholic beer. Looking for more options for non-drinkers? Check out our full collection of non-alcoholic drinks →