You’d think that not drinking would lead to fewer personal indignities—you’re far less likely to face-plant in your driveway in front of a Lyft driver, for a hypothetical and not-real-at-all example—until you’re faced with the actual injustice of not drinking.
People who are sober, pregnant, or are just light drinkers rarely get decent options for cocktails that don’t involve juices from concentrate, overly sweet syrups, or soda water blasted from a gun.
One “mocktail” I had recently at Punch Bowl Social involved raisins floating like rabbit turds in a super-sugary soda blend for $6. I’m still upset.
Mercifully, as “dry January,” Whole30, and other alcohol-eschewing health trends continue to gain popularity, the tide is changing. Several local bars and restaurants are turning their attention to fine-tuned, craft, “dry” cocktails that are every bit as complex as their high-proof cousins.
Since the start of the year, Departure has dedicated an entire section of its menu to non-alcoholic drinks with flavor profiles that include herbal, spicy, and tangy.
“This is a category that just gets so overlooked,” says Sam Azarow, Departure’s beverage director and senior restaurant manager. “We wanted to focus on really building great dry beverages that don’t relate to the cocktails, but can tell a story and stand on their own.”
