By Heather John Fogarty 

It used to be that a nonalcoholic cocktail—the unfortunately dubbed “mocktail”—was a conciliatory afterthought for sober patrons. Cut to today, and you’ll see some of the world’s most fabled bars, such as the Savoy in London, offering handcrafted cocktails using the same techniques and artistry, but without the booze. It’s not just that more patrons are abstaining, more are also shifting away from sugar consumption and emphasizing health.

On The Rocks Without a Twist
Skipping alcohol is a trend that’s long been alive and well in Los Angeles, where a popular spot like the plant-based Mexican restaurant Gracias Madre features a full “On the Wagon” cocktail menu, and the elegant sustainable-seafood restaurant Providence offers a savory “Sea Cucumber,” with salted cucumber juice and citrus as part of mixologist Kim Stodel’s “If You Don’t Partake” offerings.

Bar Tab with a Flavor Profile

In more recent years, the move toward artisanal nonalcoholic offerings has expanded to cocktail lists from San Francisco to New York City and all points in between. Two-Michelin-starred Oriole in Chicago offers a dedicated “spirit-free” drink menu to pair with its 15-course tasting menu. At the three-Michelin-starred Coi in San Francisco, the emphasis is on tea. “I’ve noticed a pattern of our repeat diners taking turns alternating between our wine pairing and our tea pairing so that the designated driver can still have an elevated dining experience,” says Thomas Smith, wine director at Coi. When committing to that level of dining experience, you want options. 
 
At Jimmy at the James in Manhattan, co-owner Johnny Swet adds, “We’re seeing more people who can’t or choose not to drink, and we want them to have a good time, too.” To that end, Swet recently discovered Seedlip, the first distilled nonalcoholic spirit that he likes both for its complex flavor profile and sophisticated packaging—and it’s terrific in a Southside. (Seedlip also makes appearances at venerated New York bars such as PDT and Atera, among others.) “It’s about inclusion,” he says. “You can be out with your friends and have something nice poured right out of the bottle instead of being the guy drinking seltzer and lime.” 

Hold the Lime, Pass the Peppercorn
Indeed, mixologists have moved past the seltzer and lime “mocktail” to create drinks that are innovative and enticing in their own right. Thanks to concoctions like the Yami, made with lavender-pink peppercorn, lemon, peach bitters and orange blossom water at Departure in Portland, Oregon; and the Sparkling Rosé of rose and hibiscus flowers, juniper, hawthorn, elderberries and lime at The Catbird Seat in Nashville, Tennessee; or the Cosmonaut with Pinot Noir juice at New York’s Gramercy Tavern and the antioxidant-laden pomegranate Phoenician Spritz at Craft, nonalcoholic drinks are no longer the thing we settle for, but rather the drink we order first.