Longoven’s “She’s All That,” featuring Lyre’s Aperitif Dry, fermented tomato, citrus oleo, basil, lemon and soda water (Photo courtesy Longoven)
The word “mocktail” should be retired forever. Archaic and lazy, it implies a lack of authenticity that fails to reflect the spirit world’s most recent renaissance of reimagining nonalcoholic drinks. There is no better time to practice teetotalism, as bartenders are embracing booze-free options with the same — and, perhaps, even greater — creativity, to concoct drinks that are as balanced and sophisticated as their hooched-up counterparts.
“I want them to be just as exciting as an alcoholic drink,” says Sophia Kim, bar manager at Longoven. “It’s about inclusivity — offering something delicious and just as thoughtful is important. We’re a hospitality business, we want people to have a good time and help people enjoy where they are, and that definitely should include nonalcoholic options.”
Nonalcoholic beverage sales represent one of the fastest-growing sectors of the beverage industry, increasing 33% last year, according to market research firm Nielsen. Attracting those who are sober, pregnant or perhaps simply looking to take a break from alcohol consumption, no-proof is the movement of the moment.
“I think creative drinks can — should — be more than just nonalcoholic versions of standard alcoholic drinks,” says Erin Scala, beverage director of Common House and Birdie’s, which feature an entire menu dedicated to temperance.
With almost three decades in the industry, Scala says that while she was working as a bartender at the Michelin-starred (now closed) Public in SoHo, she began to replace the notorious post-shift shot with a nonalcoholic version, and it quickly became a request from several of her fellow employees. Both Birdie’s and Common House offer a menu of nonalcoholic pairings during wine dinners.
"When we really use the ingredients to their full potential and play to the strengths of the ingredients, it opens up a whole new world,” she says. “Fifteen years ago, many vegetarian dishes were approached as nonmeat versions of classic meat dishes. Today, vegetarian dishes are more normalized, and [nonalcoholic] cocktails are entering a similar space.”
The shift is also reflected on a retail level. Lagunitas Brewing Co. released Hoppy Refresher, a zingy, hopped sparkling beverage in 2019; bars such as Washington, D.C.’s Binge and New York’s Listen and Getaway are dedicated to the on-the-wagon movement; and companies, including early-on-the-scene Seedlip, in addition to Lyre’s, are selling spirit-free products ranging from nonalcoholic bottled gin to canned cocktail-inspired sips. In June, Richmond welcomed two dry bottle shops, Point 5 in Carytown and Enjoy Ceremony in the Fan (there are three Hampton Roads outposts).
Kim, who has helmed the bars at Sticky Rice and Saison, says that temperance encourages bartenders to think outside their usual catalog of ingredients and techniques, leaning on interesting additions such as yogurt to create texture or the Italian soda Stappi to add bitterness. They are ditching obvious options such as soda water or tonic and juices, instead finding ways to uniquely replace the bold flavors of spirits.
The sans-booze approach also empowers patrons and staff to recognize that being social doesn’t have to mean throwing one back.
“It’s one of those delicate things where bartenders especially recognize that too much can lead to addiction and alcoholism,” Kim says. “People that don’t drink still want to be able to sit at a bar, and go out to eat dinner, and not have it be so obvious that they’re not drinking anything.”
Scala echoes that sentiment.
“A lot of the problems with alcohol are overindulgence,” she says, “but if you give the people the option to not overindulge, all the bad things about alcohol can lessen in some way.”
