Mocktail O’Clock
There are a lot of great reasons to enjoy a mocktail! Some people believe that mocktails are for recovering alcoholics and pregnant people only. But for me, I choose not to drink because it makes me feel better. I love how I sleep. I love that I can drive around after a night out. And I love how clear headed I feel.
For you, drinking alcohol might be part of your life but that doesn’t mean an occasional mocktail isn’t in your future! Perhaps you want to take a night off from booze but have a work happy hour. Or maybe you need to the designated driver but don’t want to drink straight water.
When considering a mocktail at a restaurant, follow these steps to mocktail success:
See if they have a non-alcoholic menu. A lot of places offer mocktails
If you don’t see a non-alcoholic drink menu, peruse the alcoholic drink menu and identify a drink that most aligns with flavors you like. Tell the bartender that you love X cocktail, but could they make a non-alcoholic version
Get familiar with flavors you love. Tell the bartender you want a mocktail that is fruit forward, citrus forward, or spicy. I always tell bartenders I like a bit of a kick and not a lot of fruit juice
Decide if you are ok with bitters. Bitters do contain a bit of alcohol but they open a lot of doors for mocktail. I’ve started telling bartenders that I am ok with bitters
If you are at home and want to try your mocktail making skills, I highly recommend Julia Bainbridge’s Book “Good Drinks.”
