Second Harvest is a zero-waste, terroir-driven non-alcoholic cocktail inspired by the Alberta prairies — a region defined by short growing seasons, long winters, and an agricultural culture built on preservation and adaptability rather than abundance.
Every ingredient is locally sourced from Alberta and used more than once. Grains extracted from umami stock become the crisp garnish. Berries and beets pressed into cordial become the jam. Nothing is wasted.
NOA Sicilian Amaro serves as the backbone — arriving already carrying a full harvest of botanicals. Orange peel, cinnamon, sustained gentian bitterness, and a coffee note from chicory form the foundation the drink is built around. A brown butter fat-washed haskap and golden beet cordial adds hidden body and richness, softening the berry’s natural tannin while lifting the cinnamon and orange in the amaro. A portobello mushroom and prairie grain stock — built from Alberta-grown oats and triticale extracted sous vide — amplifies the chicory-driven coffee note and builds the textural layers that non-alcoholic cocktails often lack. NOA Dry Sparkling lengthens the drink and allows every other element to breathe.
The name carries a second meaning. The people who influenced and shaped this journey planted seeds long before this cocktail existed. What I’m presenting here is the result of their generosity — I get to reap from the second harvest of everything they gave me.
Second Harvest is a national finalist entry in Beyond NOA 2026.
2 oz NOA Sicilian Amaro
¾ oz Brown Butter Haskap Golden Beet Cordial*
½ oz Portobello Grain Umami Stock**
¼ oz 5% Citric Acid Solution***
1½ oz NOA Dry Sparkling Wine
Glassware: Nick & Nora
Garnish: Spent-grain Mushroom Crisp**** with Haskap Honey Jam*****
Combine NOA Sicilian Amaro, Cordial, umami stock, and citric acid solution in a shaker with ice. Shake briefly and double strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. Top gently with NOA Dry Sparkling Wine. Serve with a spent-grain mushroom crisp and haskap honey jam on the side.
*Brown Butter Haskap Golden Beet Cordial
300g haskap berries, frozen
150g golden beet, brunoise
150g FallenTimber wildflower honey
100g sugar
250ml water
3g citric acid
1g fleur de sel
100g Foothills Creamery butter, browned
Combine water, sugar, and honey in a saucepan over medium heat until dissolved. Add golden beet brunoise and simmer 5 minutes. Add haskap berries and simmer a further 8–10 minutes. Lightly mash and strain, reserving solids for jam. Cool completely. Brown butter in a separate pan until nutty and amber. Combine warm brown butter with cooled cordial and mix thoroughly. Rest 30 minutes then freeze overnight. Remove solidified fat cap and fine strain.
**Portobello Grain Umami Stock
180g portobello mushroom, brunoise
160g golden beet, brunoise
65g oat groats, toasted
65g triticale, toasted
800ml cold water
1g fleur de sel
Toast oat groats and triticale in a dry pan until lightly nutty. Cool completely. Combine all ingredients in a vacuum seal bag. Seal and place in a sous vide bath at 65°C for 4 hours. Remove and submerge immediately in an ice bath for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine chinois. Refrigerate until service.
***5% Citric Acid Solution
45g citric acid
900g water
Combine and stir until fully dissolved.
****Spent-grain Mushroom Crisp
Spent oats, triticale, mushroom, and beet from umami stock
2 tbsp neutral oil
1g salt
2 tbsp oat powder
4 tbsp boiling water
½ tsp FallenTimber wildflower honey
Combine oat powder, boiling water, honey, and salt to form an oat glue. Pat spent grain mixture dry and pulse briefly in a food processor until fine but not paste. Combine with oat glue and oil, mixing until the mixture just holds together when pressed. Spread thinly and evenly onto a parchment-lined tray. Bake at 325°F for 20 minutes, then reduce to 250°F for 40 minutes. Turn off oven and rest with door open for 15 minutes. Cool completely and break into shards.
*****Haskap Honey Jam
Spent haskap berries and golden beet from cordial
50g FallenTimber wildflower honey
20g water
Pinch of fleur de sel
2 drops 5% citric acid solution
Combine spent solids, honey, water, and salt in a small saucepan. Simmer gently 5–8 minutes until glossy. Briefly immersion blend until slightly smooth but still textured. Chill before service.
