BAR TALK
86 MARKET WATCH | MARKETWATCHMAG.COM | JUNE 2019Hold The Alcohol
Serious mixologists are getting creative with alcohol-free drinksPH
OTOBYWHITEOAK^ COMMUNICATIONSO
nce shown little attention in the
on-premise, alcohol-free cocktails
have become a presence at venues
with upscale mixology programs. At some
places, spirits-free drinks now have their
own menus and receive plenty of bartender
support, and they’re being made with high-
end ingredients.
“Non-alcoholic drinks deserve the same
love and attention to detail as alcoholic
cocktails,” says Natasha David, co-owner
of New York City bar Nitecap. While her
venue has a full roster of traditional cock-
tails, she also highlights alcohol-free
options. “Guests are always pleasantly
surprised by how layered, complex, and
balanced our non-alcoholic cocktails are,”
David says.
Nitecap’s popular alcohol-free drinks ($8)
include the Head Games, mixing zero-proof
“spirit” Seedlip Spice 94, house-made blood
orange shrub, grapefruit juice, cinnamon
syrup, and tonic, and the Scorpio Sisters,
comprising coconut cream, coconut milk,
kiwi purée, pineapple and lime juices, and rose water. “Our
goal is to make the drinks feel like ‘real’ drinks,” David says.
“They’re served in fun glassware, beautifully garnished, and
presented just like any other cocktail on our menu.”
For Chicago bar The Whistler, having a separate menu of
alcohol-free drinks is all about inclusion. “Everyone who
steps through our doors should be made to feel welcome,”
says bartender Doug Phillips. The bar’s offerings include
cocktails with optional spirits, such as the Milk Maid ($6;
$10 with Cimarrón Tequila), comprising coconut milk,
cucumber, lime juice, and salt, and the Delhi Cooler ($6;
$10 with Beefeater gin), mixing house-made curry nectar
syrup, pineapple and lime juices, and club soda.
“We approach a non-alcoholic cocktail exactly the same
way we would approach a traditional one,” Phillips says.
“When making a non-alcoholic drink we ask ourselves,
‘Would we put this on the alcoholic cocktail menu?’ The
answer has to be yes.”
Inclusivity is also important at 4 Saints, a rooftop bar at
the Kimpton Rowan Hotel in Palm Springs, California.
Beverage manager Andy Nelson says his guests are often
excited to see spirits-free options. “We use the same tech-
niques to prep these drinks as for our regular cocktails,”Nelson says. “We want to ensure the drink
is balanced, complex, and consistent.
There’s a growing demographic of people
who prefer non-alcoholic cocktails.”
The Gypsy Dancer ($7) at 4 Saints mixes
a house-made pineapple shrub with lime
juice and muddled mint and jalapeño. After
seeing the success of the drink, Nelson creat-
ed an alcoholic version—the Maquina Verde
($14)—that’s since become one of the bar’s
most popular cocktails. The drink mixes the
pineapple shrub and lime juice with Del
Maguey Vida mezcal, Avuá cachaça, and
Ancho Reyes Verde poblano chile liqueur.
Jenee Craver, beverage director for Chicago
cocktail destination Sable Kitchen & Bar, has
also seen alcohol-free drinks rise in popularity,
primarily because they alleviate social pressure
to drink. For her, non-alcoholic cocktails
require even more attention to detail than
their alcoholic counterparts. “I’d argue that
it’s more challenging to craft well-balanced
non-alcoholic drinks,” Craver says. “Alcohol
offers texture and body in addition to flavor.
When you eliminate that, you have to be creative in bringing
those elements back into play.”
Craver uses many of the same ingredients in both her
traditional and non-alcoholic drinks. This adds sophistica-
tion and integrity, she explains. Among the bar’s alcohol-
free drinks is the Colada De Avena ($12), which mixes
Seedlip Spice 94, oat milk, and house-made passion fruit
and cinnamon syrups and is served in a tiki mug over ice
(Singani 63 brandy can replace the Seedlip for $2 more).
For its health-conscious clientele, Los Angeles restaurant
Salazar lists several alcohol-free aguas frescas on its cocktail
menu. Beverage director Adan Maldonado says the drinks are
popular during the day, adding that while they can be enhanced
with alcohol, they’re more often ordered as-is. Salazar’s aguas
frescas range from the Fruta del Dragón ($6; $12 with Plati-
num 7X vodka), made with pureed dragon fruit, lemon juice,
water, and sugar, to the Horchata, mixing house-made rice
milk, Thai coconut milk, and condensed milk with cinnamon
($6; $7 with cold brew coffee; $12 with Don Q Cristal rum
and Copa de Oro Coffee liqueur). “Our non-alcoholic drinks
are made to be just as delicious and beautifully presented as our
boozy cocktails,” Maldonado says. mw
Laura PelnerLos Angeles restaurant Salazar serves
several alcohol-free aguas frescas,
including the Fruta del Dragón
(above), made with pureed dragon
fruit, lemon juice, water, and sugar.