Spirit free: Nonalcoholic drinks gain favor
December 27, 2023
Nonalcoholic libations are becoming a more popular adult beverage of choice — out on the town and at home.
by Michael J. Solender
When Sarah Hosseini attends cultural events around Charlotte, she enjoys a libation or two, but typically sans alcohol. While Hosseini, 39, an English professor at Central Piedmont Community College, does not completely abstain from alcohol, she likes being in the moment and fully engaged in social situations, without any extra encouragement.
“When out socially, especially at events that celebrate creativity, I prefer mocktails or nonalcoholic beverages just to be as present as possible,” Hosseini says. “During Covid, I reevaluated how I wanted to be more present and how I wanted to be healthier. I looked at alcohol [consumption] patterns for myself and made the decision to reduce drinking. One way to do that is to not drink when I go out to events.”
Hosseini’s approach to scaling back is representative of a trend that’s exploding well beyond “Sober October” and “Dry January” resets — one that’s gaining traction year-round. Hospitality and beverage-industry experts supplying restaurants, lounges, event venues and home markets have identified a steep rise in sales of zero-proof spirits, wine and beer, and an expanding variety of nonalcoholic alternatives. In 2022, sales of no- and low-alcohol beverages grew by more than 7% across 10 key global markets, surpassing $11 billion in market value. This is up from $8 billion in 2018, according to beverage industry analyst IWSR (International Wine & Spirit Research) and reported by Forbes.
Sophisticated options
The pattern accelerated locally as Covid abated in late 2022, according to Tamu Curtis, founder of The Cocktailery, a beverage lifestyle shop in South End. Curtis says during the peak of the pandemic and extended home stays, alcohol consumption was up. But over the last 18 months, she’s seen a dramatic increase in demand for alternatives — both low-alcohol and nonalcoholic options. Interest is so great, she’s added an entire alcohol-free section at her Atherton Mill shop.
“People want more sophisticated drinks beyond cranberry juice and soda,” Curtis says. “My customers were searching for products they’d researched online and asking for them by name. Initially, I was not quick to embrace this and was a bit resistant. Now, I see this is more than a trend — it’s a movement and is continuing to grow.”
Tamu Curtis of The Cocktailery
And why not? The market is responding with a broad palette of nuanced choices and flavor profiles, from zero-proof rum, gin, vodka and whiskey that directly mimic the taste of spirits in mocktails to a category of adaptogens — herb-infused root- and plant-based beverages. These libations claim health benefits from increased energy and mood enhancement to aiding digestion and stress management.
“There’s a lot of variety to be discovered,” Curtis says. “And just as much opportunity to innovate when creating layers of flavor where people won’t miss the joy of having a cocktail in social situations. There are endless options for people to enjoy smoky, sweet, bitter, sour or dry drinks — without alcohol. And when served a drink in a pretty glass, the sometimes social stigma of not drinking when out with friends is avoided.”
Offering a variety of beverage selections to ensure all guests are attended to is also a smart business decision. Celebrity chef and serial restaurateur David Burke’s newest Charlotte eatery, The Fox & Falcon in SouthPark, has several specially crafted alcohol-free mocktails on the menu, as well as zero-proof sparklers and wine.
Chef David Burke enjoys a Faux & Falcon. Photograph by Pop Rock Photography
“We saw this (preference for nonalcoholic drinks) trending even before Covid,” Burke says. “Guests want something in front of them that looks and tastes special. They want a delicious beverage they can’t get at home or from a can. We adapt, accommodate and make people feel comfortable. We’ve had restaurants in Saudi Arabia where the entire beverage menu is nonalcoholic and learned a lot doing business there.”
Burke says he looks to his local restaurant teams to craft specialty drinks of their own. “Mixologists are getting creative. We see more sophisticated drinks that aren’t simply fruit juice and soda,” he says. “The alcohol heat in a cocktail can be replaced with ingredients like jalapeno or black pepper. Drinking vinegars yield an adult beverage that is not too sweet. These are sipping drinks, not gulping drinks.”
One of many specialty mocktails created by the Charlotte team is the Faux & Falcon. The modern libation is made with Seedlip Spice 94 (an aromatic blend of allspice, cardamom and fresh citrus), ginger beer, and nonalcoholic red wine syrup.
More than an afterthought
“Every guest should have the opportunity to enjoy their time with us, regardless of their personal preferences or dietary restrictions,” says Morgan Styers, mixologist and lead bartender at Merchant & Trade, the rooftop lounge at uptown’s Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel. “We believe that a good beverage program expands beyond ABV (alcohol by volume). Spirit-free cocktails should take as much time, care and effort as any other beverage offering,” Styers says. “I think the mark of a good bartender is if someone comes asking for a zero-proof beverage, they can produce a drink that’s beautifully crafted, providing interesting and balanced flavors. Our team is well-equipped to deliver on this.”
The Madame Blueberry at Merchant & Trade
Styers says the most popular mocktail on their spirit-free menu is the Madame Blueberry. The drink features Ritual Zero Proof rum, blueberries, fresh lemon, local honey, aquafaba (an egg-white substitute) and sparkling water. “It’s been a big hit,” Styers says. “The drink is bright, sweet and refreshing.”
For Charlotte chef Sam Diminich, the creative talent behind Restaurant Constance and the Your Farms Your Table Restaurant Group, alcohol-free offerings on the menu represent an important part of his personal journey to sobriety. “It’s an extension,” says Diminich, who has been public with his struggle with alcoholism. “Recovery should be celebrated and accepted by society, not met with suspicion or apathy. When I decided to open a restaurant, I knew if I was going to do this, it would have to help change our current norms and help shape a sustainable future for the industry. This is part of my overall plan.”
Diminich doesn’t use the term “mocktail” in conversation or on menus, as there are no synthetic or mock spirits in the nonalcoholic beverages served at Restaurant Constance. What guests find here are drinks such as the Moonlight Mile, made with yuzu, spring berries and lemongrass, and the Ain’t Life Grand, featuring cucumber, agua fresca, mint and ginger.
A diverse dry bar
Spirit-free options are expanding at event spaces in the Queen City as well, with Charlotte’s grand dame, the Duke Mansion, leading the way with one of the city’s first dry bars. The inn and popular event venue introduced its dry bar last spring, featuring a variety of zero-proof cocktails, sparklers and craft beer from Be Refreshed Beverage Co. Alcohol-free drinks include a mojito infused with spearmint and peppermint and a floral IPA with notes of tropical fruit and citrus.
“There’s a high level of demand for mocktails and nonalcoholic options from our clients,” says Kelli Taddonio, the Duke Mansion’s director of sales and events. “And the interest shown is experienced nationally by my peers in the event-planning space.”
Chef Sam Diminich of Restaurant Constance. Photographs by Peter Taylor.
Taddonio says the dry bar is here to stay at the Duke Mansion, which hosts many social and corporate events and weddings. “The Dry Bar has proven very popular and is a great option for our guests.”
With a collective nod to health, wellness and social change, Charlotte’s drinking landscape is evolving. Hosseini, the English professor, has discovered she’s rarely alone in enjoying an alcohol-free beverage when out socially.
“Many of my friends are right there with me,” she says. “It helps that many Charlotte establishments have several artisanal beverages. The mocktail situation in many places in town is very elevated. I ask for a fancy glass. My experience is enhanced, and it feels special.” SP
Featured image: Nonalcoholic beverages at Restaurant Constance. Photograph by Peter Taylor.
Espresso Nontini
a mocktail recipe from Tamu Curtis of The Cocktailery
Ingredients:
1 1/2 ounces Seedlip Spice 94
1 ounce chilled espresso
3/4 ounce coffee syrup
3 coffee beans, for garnish
Cocoa powder, for garnish
Directions:
Add the first three ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled. Serve “up” into your cocktail class. Garnish with coffee beans and sprinkle with cocoa powder.
Kombucha carries on
At South End’s popular Lenny Boy Brewing Co. taproom, visitors can enjoy craft beer, cider and hard seltzer — or one of several nonalcoholic organic kombuchas.
“We’ve always been welcoming to folks who choose not to drink alcohol, or may prefer to have a single beer and then switch over to our kombucha,” says Lenny Boy founder Townes Mozer. In fact, Lenny Boy was started in 2011 as a kombucha business first and later expanded into beer. Mozer has noticed a shift to higher kombucha sales versus beer since coming out of the pandemic, both off-premise (Lenny Boy is available at retailers like Harris Teeter and Whole Foods in 19 eastern states) and in the taproom.
“There’s definitely a health benefit and the trend toward less alcohol consumption when people go out,” Mozer says. “Kombucha is a functional beverage. It adds more than basic nutritional value for consumers. Ours is fermented for 30 days, has B vitamins, probiotics, amino acids and more than 100 different strains of lactobacillus, which is known to aid digestion and benefit the gut biome.”
Flavors here include Good Ol’ Ginger, Lavenderade and Lost Rose. There’s always something new in the taproom, where a minimum of six nonalcoholic kombuchas are on tap at any given time.
What’s that you’re drinking?
In 2016, Cleveland County farmer Jamie Swofford of Old North Farm was approached by his pals at Charlotte’s Free Range Brewing to create a nonalcoholic beverage the NoDa brewery could offer in its taproom. The request sent Swofford down a rabbit hole of beverage research that resulted in the creation of Old North Shrub. The award-winning Shelby business makes drinking vinegars, known in bar parlance as fruit- and vinegar-based shrubs.
In concentrated form, shrubs are often used as mixers. When mixed with carbonated water, the resulting sparkler is a standalone, refreshing cooler.
“I thought it was interesting and cool, especially as I don’t drink,” Swofford says. “I found information on vinegar-based beverages dating back to Roman times with poscas (herb-infused vinegar-based drinks given to soldiers) and in early American times before refrigeration. Then, they found ways of preserving fruit and covering it with sugar and old wine and kept it in jars.”
Old North Shrub photograph by Johnny Autry
Swofford says Old North Farm’s focus is on ingredients that are “of this place” — North Carolina agriculture. He uses ingredients that are wild and growing though the seasons. “We came up with the right ratio of water to our concentrate for serving on tap,” Swofford says. “We did a hibiscus and muscadine shrub that became known as State Grape.”
That shrub won national recognition through the Good Food Foundation, receiving a Good Food Award in 2023. The organization honors food artisans and craftspeople making authentic, sustainable and ethically conscious products. In addition to State Grape, Old North flavors include Two in the Bush (strawberry, chamomile and lemon verbena) and The Pink Lady (apple cider, organic apple cider vinegar, apple molasses, ginger, spicebush berry and bay laurel). The shrubs remain on tap at Free Range, and are bottled and sold online and at retail shops including The Culture Shop in Charlotte and the Pickled Peach in Davidson.
