Three years ago, I took six months off drinking. Out with friends, my beverage options were limited to soda water, on-tap kombucha or a $15 mocktail.
The mocktails – sour mix passed off as artisan lemonade, Shirley Temple variations twice the cost of a cheap beer – left a lot to be desired. Despite their premium price points, the non-alcoholic choices felt like an afterthought. It left a bad taste in my mouth, both figuratively and literally.
Since that time a lot has changed. There are dozens of new non-alcoholic beers and canned cocktails, not to mention booze-free bars and bottle shops.
Tommy Conrad, bartender at Casa Paco measuring the cucumber base (2.5 oz) for Smoking Garden zero-proof cocktail.Christie Vuong/The Globe and Mail
It’s all part of a larger trend away from alcohol. In 2023, Statistics Canada found that 54 per cent of individuals over 18 reported not drinking alcohol in the week preceding the survey. The agency also reported that the volume of alcohol sold in Canada declined 1.2 per cent in 2021-22 and that wine sales fell 4 per cent – the largest decrease since Statscan began tracking the figures in 1949.
The shifting social norms can be anecdotally attributed to a number of different factors including the legalization of weed, the rise of wellness culture and even increased cost of living (it’s harder to slam brewskis when you’ve got no disposable income).
To keep up, bartenders have started catering to the sober and sober curious, putting more effort into their non-alcoholic options.
“For a long time, non-alcoholic cocktails had a bad rap,” said Tommy Conrad, bar manager at Casa Paco in Toronto. “Overpriced, uninspired and often just a mix of juices. But if someone’s paying for a cocktail – alcoholic or not – it should be thoughtfully crafted with the same care and attention to detail.”
Conrad’s innovative approach to cocktails focuses on tastes and textures, offering new takes on old classics and a rotating menu of seasonal flavours. The same thoughtfulness extends to Casa Paco’s non-alcoholic offerings. Surprisingly, creating a sober cocktail can sometimes be harder than making one with booze.
“The goal isn’t just to mimic, but to create something equally satisfying. With alcoholic cocktails, the spirit brings built-in complexity. Years of distillation, aging and maceration to create deep flavours before a bartender even touches the bottle. That foundation makes it easier to craft a thoughtful drink. With non-alcoholic cocktails, everything is built from the ground up.”
Without alcohol, every ingredient has to work a little harder to add complexity. How do you layer flavours, textures and aromas? What about the feel in your mouth? For Conrad, that means experimenting with fruits high in pectin to offer viscosity or adding spices such as ginger or horseradish to mimic an ethanol burn.
Tommy Conrad, bartender at Casa Paco, in Toronto, ON.Christie Vuong/The Globe and Mail
But that doesn’t mean that creating a delicious non-alcoholic cocktail has to be intimidating or inaccessible. There are a number of booze-free spirit companies to offer a head start. You can also experiment with things around the house.
“When in doubt, start with ingredients or flavours you already love and keep building from there. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and get creative. Experiment with using vinegars for acidity, teas as bases for syrups. Milks and wheys to add silkiness and an unexpected depth. Sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and agave also provide unique twists over a basic simple syrup. It should all be fun.”
If you’re looking to try out some new drinks, here are some recipes from Conrad and other bartenders you can make at home.
