Why Does Every Menu Have A Mocktail? Inside the Evolution of Non-Alcoholic Drinks
It’s been years since non-alcoholic spirits made their way into the mainstream, and modern drink menus are embracing the moment. As the alcohol-free movement has expanded, it has prompted an introspective look at our drinking culture. Certain bar-goers had to rethink social ritual itself to truly enjoy a non-alcoholic cocktail, while those behind the wood were forced to reconsider years of training to meet that moment. Even some sober drinkers today will coyly admit that, at one point in the not-to-distant past, they saw a non-alcoholic cocktail and wondered, “What’s the point?” Despite 10,000 documented years of humans imbibing alcohol, there’s no doubt that things are changing — and the path towards this point is just as complex as the flavours that commit a great cocktail to memory.
Let’s take things back to 2009. That year, the Shirley Temple still reigned supreme but a chilled club soda was, let’s face it, probably what you were drinking that night if you were abstaining for any reason (usually it was because you were the designated driver). It also happened to be the year I packed up my life and moved to the big city of Toronto. At this time, if I ever wanted to sell the city to anyone and name the one thing that truly made Toronto great, it wouldn’t be the CN Tower, Graffiti Alley, or Trinity Bellwoods Park (though Trinity Bellwoods has always been beautiful in the summer). It certainly was not the restaurant scene, which was much more respected by insiders and industry people at the time. Instead, it was the live music scene Torontonians bragged about to anyone who would listen.
Over time — despite the city still being a great place to catch a live set — the rise of shows like Chef’s Table, alongside the growing popularity of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown and The Layover among both industry and non-industry audiences alike, signalled a broader shift. Toronto, and dining culture as a whole, began to recalibrate. People started to look at chefs, bartenders, and flavour creators with the same gleam as they once did the musicians up on stage.
So, what does this have to do with non-alcoholic cocktails? In generations past, we would have found our personal favourite drink. Our tried-and-true beverage would become part of our identity. We would say things like, “I’m an *insert brand name* guy,” or “I drink *insert brand name*” and we’d rarely stray. Today, however, we prefer experience over comfort and consistency. As our love for the flavourful journey grew — shaped by the growing number of back-of-house and behind-the-wood influences — the seeds of non-alcoholic cocktail appreciation were quietly planted. As fast as Canadians found their love for adventure in food, they learned to appreciate the liquids that filled their glassware. Flavour had never been more paramount and consumers began to wake up to the realization that the reward lay within the taste — not in the buzz.
Fast forward to 2018: The world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit, Seedlip, was in its second year being available in Canada and a tenacious brand ambassador, Sarah Parniak, was leading the charge for the entire country. The strategy? Spread the gospel of inclusivity within the bar community. A massive community of would-be bar goers had gone completely untapped on account of their proclivity to abstain from alcohol (and the contemporary bartender’s disposition for serving drinks with a base spirit). With Seedlip’s arrival, the very concept of hospitality was put under a looking glass; industry folks examined into what it means to run an establishment that welcomes all. “No & Lo-Alc” sections began slowly popping up in cocktail menus across the country and, for the first time, beverage-minded adults began to see non-alcoholic cocktails as a viable purchase while out at the bar.
“[Early] non-alc cocktails often lacked body, brightness, bitterness, aroma.”
Kat Saulnier, brand ambassador for NOA.
The community was still divided on the then-novel idea of sober cocktails, and many industry professionals thought Seedlip (and likely the whole zero-proof category) was destined to fail. They believed they’d be better off making their own non-alcoholic spirits in-house to avoid the high cost of goods. Likewise, consumers — unaware of the overhead costs on non-alcoholic cocktails — wondered why mocktail prices were neck-and-neck with the boozy offerings. Those who bought into the idea were on the front lines of the pressures from fellow cocktail drinkers who had not yet understood this unconventional drink order. “Why aren’t you drinking alcohol?” was hurled like a wrecking ball at anyone who strayed from the norm.
Mocktail makers persisted by breaking down barriers. “Non-alc cocktails often lacked body, brightness, bitterness, aroma,” says Kat Saulnier, brand ambassador for non-alcoholic beverage brand NOA. In the early days, the balance was almost constantly off as professional cocktail makers raced to figure out how they could replace the “spirit” in the spec. Sugar was used in an attempt to replace texture, commonly resulting in drinks that were dangerously sweet. If they weren’t full of sugar, zero-proof drinks would be flat or the acidity would often be pushed to the forefront. Sculpting the new structure took practice, discussion, and collaboration between industry professionals. Living in an age where social media lets information spread like wildfire, we were well on our way to cracking the code — but one event doused those flames with gasoline.
“People had no contact with restaurants for such a long time, and now they’re back and everything is more expensive, so people cut out alcohol. All the great bartenders and best bars are turning this into an experience, a curiosity like you have with food.”Patrice Plante, founder of NOA.
In spite of all the seminars, mocktail recipes, and social media posts that hand delivered these elements to the masses, the real change came in early 2020. The pandemic drew all the curtains back as we hunkered-down, isolated for extended periods of time. “Without the pandemic, I don’t think I would have the NOA brand,” says Patrice Plante, who founded the non-alcoholic beverage brand in 2023. While part of the community recognized their love of imbibing and saw it now more acceptable to drink alone — often describing it, in jest, as a coping mechanism — a counterpart to this group recognized that they consumed alcohol only in social settings. As a result, they stopped drinking altogether, a behaviour that simply carried over once the pandemic had ended. The pandemic also prompted a deep reconsideration of personal health decisions, further contributing to the drop-off in alcohol consumption. Meanwhile, fitness influencers were amassing followers at an alarming rate, often showing their audience how that abstinence could be a positive part of their identity.
In the wake of the pandemic, inflation has (once again) become a daily conversation as communities acutely feel the rising cost of living. This inflation triggered a rapid shift in consumer behaviour, according to Plante. “People had no contact with restaurants for such a long time, and now they’re back and everything is more expensive, so people cut out alcohol,” he adds. This moment is uniquely disruptive. Affordability is edging toward crisis mode — and to be candid with the implications — burning the candle at both ends in order to live comfortably is a lot easier when you’re not recovering from the effects of alcohol consumption. “All the great bartenders and best bars are turning this into an experience, a curiosity like you have with food,” says Plante.
The contemporary non-alcoholic cocktail has come a long way, with veterans passing down forged structural guidelines to newcomers. Sasha Siegel, a bartender known for mastering the craft of the non-alcoholic cocktail, swears by zero-proof aperitifs, liqueurs, and fortified wines as the most effective tools for anyone looking to sip soberly. These products are relatively new to the market and are specifically impactful when trying to replicate that coveted mouthfeel of the traditional cocktail formulation. Chili pepper and carbonation has also been used to simulate the familiar tingling and burn felt on the back of the throat while imbibing alcoholic cocktails, says NOA’s Kat Saulnier. Tannins from teas, pectins used for thickening, and ferments that add texture and length are among some other aces bartenders have up their sleeves.
Other non-alcoholic drink makers are taking a benefits-driven approach, adding function to their offerings. “Bartenders focus on what’s in the glass. Drinkers focus on ‘what’s in it for me,’” quips Renesha Monaco, CEO and founder of Sobar Social Club, an organization that hosts alcohol-free events in Toronto. This typically comes in the form of ingredient combinations such as ginger and turmeric, which boost the immune system while you sip. Monaco, herself a non-alcoholic cocktail enthusiast, often finds adaptogens — naturally occurring substances commonly in the herb or root families — in her glass. These may include ginseng, known for its immune-supporting properties, or ashwagandha, which is associated with stress and anxiety relief as well as improved sleep. A byproduct here, these advances and discoveries have further added fuel to the growth of the category simply by creating availability for the thirsty masses. “To build demand for something, you must have options,” says Lauren McNicol, General Manager at Toronto’s Cocktail Emporium — a reliable resource for cocktail and non-alcoholic cocktail enthusiasts alike. “Once you start seeing more products in the market, it’s no longer a gimmick,” she adds.
“Most people aren’t ready to pay $16-$18 on a non-alc cocktail. We need to be really delicate about educating because some people just don’t want to hear it and think you’re being preachy.” Sasha Siegel, bartender.
The non-alcoholic category has entered into a broader conversation about how we communicate with one another. Even the terminology for letting your friends know — “I don’t drink” — was formulated over time to help minimize the peer pressure that often follows the admission. “Being direct is the most effective way,” advises Saulnier. No time to be timid. Bartender Nick Hurd quit drinking on August 8, 2022. At the time of this writing, he is three years, five months, and thirteen days sober, according to his I Am Sober app. He says the first year brought the most pressure — particularly from friends. “I was telling people I used to drink with that I’d quit, and it was a strange shift for those around me,” Hurd says. Often, his calibre as a bartender is questioned as many assume you need to be an imbiber in order to create menu items. Though these moments of contention appear to be subsiding, as the broader public begins to get with the program, it still remains one of the many hurdles that face sober sippers today.
The dialect has also evolved on the other side of the wood, as bartenders need to consider the atmosphere they are creating for their guests — sober or otherwise. “Most people aren’t ready to pay $16-$18 on a non-alc cocktail,” says Sasha Siegel. “We need to be really delicate about educating because some people just don’t want to hear it and think you’re being preachy.” The current economic climate has drinkers placing greater emphasis on value, and while appreciation for the flavour experience has grown, the “what’s in it for me” factor is applied far more unforgivingly when considering a non-alcoholic purchase.
It’s strange to look back at the inception of the non-alcoholic scene and feel as though it happened both yesterday and a lifetime ago. We are different now. We think differently, our values shifted, our choices unfamiliar to our former selves. We are immersed in options. It’s a classic chicken-and-the-egg question: What came first — the products, or the demand for them? Did the availability of non-alcoholic cocktails actively shift our values, or was it our shifting values that created the conditions for this category to take hold? Perhaps, as with most cultural movements, both emerged at once.
FEATURE PHOTO OF PATRICE PLANTE, COURTESY OF SACHA ROY.
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