Zero Proof Cocktails - The new high!

The newly opened Izakaya - Call me 10 - at Basant Lok in Delhi was packed for lunch. You’d assume the bar to be selling a lot of cocktails for the place to be this noisy. The outlet though, is yet to get the excise license to be able to serve alcohol. Along with good Japanese food, what diners were ‘high’ on were their zero proof drinks. The one named Detox had clarified lavender milk with flavours of Earl grey, pineapple juice, falernum syrup, lime and camphor while another Paloma meets Picante had demerara jalapeno honey, sweet lime, coriander, lime and homemade grapefruit soda. You’d usually associate these ingredients and descriptions with cocktails. On offer here, were these equally well thought out non alcoholic drinks by talented bartenders.

Around the world, some of the best bars are taking their non alcoholic beverage game very seriously. They have dedicated menus of drinks that are not sugar syrups in sparkling water or fruit juices with soda under ‘mocktails’ section.

Zero proof cocktails are seriously crafted concoctions. They do not have alcohol but need as much skill and ingredient knowledge as one needs while making a good cocktail. And they taste equally good.

On a visit to Delhi to set up a new bar The Mission Bay, mixologists Stephanie Gonnet and Christopher Longoria from California based consulting group West Bev explain they always ‘prioritise’ in their menus is a ‘non alcoholic cocktails’ section. “We look at booze as just another ingredient to put in a cocktail. Which means you can choose to omit it. We make some very complex and layered non alcoholic cocktails that are still in equal rank as our alcoholic cocktails,” explains Gonnet.

Longoria asserts calling his creations mocktails lowers their credibility. He informs his drinks are best explained as ‘alcohol free cocktails’ made with components that make a delicious, well balanced beverage.

A look at beverage menus across bars in New York, London, Dubai, Singapore, Mumbai or Delhi, and you’d find non alcoholic drinks being equally prominent. While always being a part of drinks menu, zero proof drinks are now getting popular as a perfect day drinking companion or an ideal choice on one of those abstinence periods for religious or health reasons like a ‘dryanuary’. After having experimented with different alcohol combinations, minimal to outlandish presentations, fermented to clarified drinks… zero proof or no alcohol menus are the new test of skills of mixologists and bar consultants from around the world. They’re using all their experiences to come up with an experience as heady as their fabled cocktails.

Bar ‘trender’ Nitin Tewari observes non alcohol drinks have been prevalent in bar world for a long time. With increased zero proof alcohol options such as Seedlip and Sober, he sees a lot more conversation happening around this category. While consulting on any bar project or bar menu, Tewari ensured there is equal importance given to non alcohol or zero proof drinks.

“A lot of people in India avoid drinking on specific or days or generally don’t tend to drink. When you’re catering to such a large population, it makes sense to have such drinks,” Tewari explains. His personal pick are the drinks he’s tried at Comorin in Gurugram and feel they have a very good zero proof cocktail program.

Yangdup Lama of Sidecar and Cocktails and Dreams Speakeasy, considered as one of the legends of bar industry has conceptualised menus that have well thought out non alcoholic cocktails. While showcasing impressive cocktail list at his newly opened bar The Brook in Gurugram, Lama said creating good non alcoholic drinks need good skills and ingredient knowledge. On his menu are zero proof options such as Bhogate that has homemade Himalayan pomelo shrub, Himalayan honey, apple cider vinegar and red chilli powder or Pahari Nimbu Pani that has in-house pickled lime mix, Himalayan pink salt, simple syrup, sparkling water.

Lama, who had conceptualised complete non alcoholic drinks menu for a hotel opening in a state that didn’t permit serving alcohol, says the trend has started to catch up on India as well. Known for trendsetting bars and his newest outlet having drinks Aru Valley Mist that has saffron, walnuts, almond milk, lime and honey and Kumaoni Heights with plum jam, lime, apple reduction and mint on the menu, you’d expect more to follow suit and look at zero proof menus equally seriously.

Lead pic: Comorin