Counter restaurant in Charlotte , NC , recently created several non-alcoholic cocktails to pair with its international street food-themed tasting menu such as the Barcelona , left , and the Chengdu .

The Don ’ t Call Me Shirley at Mix Restaurant and Lounge in the Hilton Anaheim mixes fresh lemon and lime juice , Rose ’ s Grenadine and club soda .

The Bamboo Room ’ s Coconut Water Daiquiri , with fresh coconut water , lime juice and simple syrup .

Spirit-Free Tini ’ Time , with Pentire Adrift , Lyre ’ s aperitif dry , celery vinegar , rosemary oil , sea salt and an assortment of garnishes .

L ’ Avenue at Saks , a Parisian-themed restaurant in Saks Fifth Avenue ’ s New York flagship store , offers a few mocktails as well . One is the Spanish Steps , made with unsweetened coconut cream , a house-made apple cordial that has a tart green apple bite , freshsqueezed grapefruit juice and soda water . It ’ s built in a wine glass and has a large fluffy head that is meant to emulate the look of the famous spot in Rome .

At Bar Bastion , a cocktail bar in New York that opened this past March , no-proof cocktails include Blood Type , made with Seedlip 42 Grove , blood orange syrup , basil lemon and tonic , and Over- Cuked with lime , cucumber , mint , pineapple and ginger beer .

Mix Restaurant and Lounge in the Hilton Anaheim offered a selection of nonalcoholic cocktails on its spring menu . The Don ’ t Call Me Shirley mixes fresh lemon and lime juice , Rose ’ s Grenadine and club soda , and the Peach Squeeze combines Monin peach syrup , orange and lemon juice and club soda .

And Firebirds Wood Fired Grill , which operates 56 locations across 20 states , offered two mocktails on its spring menu : The Raspberry No-Jito ( raspberry purée , Alex ’ s Fresh Lemonade , lime , mint leaves ) and Charred Orange Agua Fresca ( seared fresh orange , fresh lime juice and chilled water ).

SPIRIT-FREE PAIRINGS Some on-premise operators are going beyond just offering zero-proof drinks and creating food parings for them . For instance , Formento ’ s restaurant in Chicago features the bright and light flavors of Italy , which pair well with its zero-proof cocktail options

such as the Starry Night , made with Seedlip Garden , lavender syrup , Earl Grey , fresh lemon and rosemary .

Counter , a tasting menu restaurant in Charlotte , NC , doesn ’ t have a cocktail program ; rather ; it emphasizes its wine and nonalcoholic pairings instead . Chef / owner Sam Hart loves the creative freedom that nonalcoholic pairings offer , allowing him to play around with concoctions , making something sweeter or more citrusy , to come up with the best pairing possible for each dish .

A recent menu theme , Street Food , was a tribute to six cities around the world and sharing the best tasting food Hart and his team have experienced in each . Counter sommelier Michael Myers researched what popular drinks were for each city and either tried to make his own version or stayed true to the classic as he could .

Street Food drink highlights include chicha morada ( Lima ); Champagne oolong tea ( Singapore ); sweet and sour plum ( Chengdu ); and orange anise syrup and soda ( Barcelona ). A Chicago-themed mocktail celebrated the flavors of Malort , the city ’ s famously bitter spirit .

A GROWING SEGMENT Drink trends may come and go , but high-quality , inspired spirit-free beverages are here to stay . Demand will likely continue to increase as well . Between August 2021 and August 2022 , total dollar sales of nonalcoholic drinks in the U . S . stood at $ 395 million , according to NielsenIQ , showing a year-on-year growth of 20.6 %.

Customers that don ’ t drink alcohol for whatever reason still want a fun , festive and delicious drink , and they ’ re willing to pay for it . Smart operators that take the steps to launch or improve their zero-free drinks programs will benefit in both guest loyalty and increased profitability .

6 Drink Responsibly 2023