BETHLEHEM, Pa. — If you don’t indulge in alcohol, navigating the holiday season can be quite a challenge.
But nowadays, there are plenty of options for social drinking without the buzz, ranging from craft mocktails to alcohol-removed wine to hop-infused water.
That means your friends and family can skip the sodas and seltzers and enjoy a new take on old classics.
"The sales are definitely there, just telling us what we're doing is the right thing for our business."Tony Burgio, director of operations at The Shelby in Lower Macungie Township
The popularity of non-alcoholic spirits, beers and wines have increased drastically over the past few years. Reasoning behind the choice varies, though often enough, it comes down to people wanting to enjoy a social beverage without the negative effects of alcohol.
In an interview with PBS News Hour in 2023, founder and president of food and drink blog The Barrel Age Khalid Williams said he has been on a mission to bring some respect to the world of craft mocktails and other nonalcoholic beverages.
A year later, it appears to be making steadfast progress.
In a June interview with LehighValleyNews.com, Tony Burgio, director of operations at The Shelby in Lower Macungie Township, said that when the restaurant introduced mocktails to its menu, staff realized "there's a huge audience that might come out."
He said The Shelby sells 150-200 mocktails per week.
"Our par is very consistent every week," Burgio said. "So the sales are definitely there, just telling us what we're doing is the right thing for our business."
'A longer-term trend'
A February report from the National Restaurant Association even cited mocktails as a product increasing sales for restaurants.
Research found 39% of adult consumers would order non-alcohol versions of alcohol beverages if offered, and 36% of operators serving alcohol saying they plan to add mocktails to their menu.
"For a variety of reasons, this is definitely developing into a longer-term trend.”Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of Research & Knowledge at the National Restaurant Association
“There’s certainly a growing market for non-alcohol beverages, especially among younger age groups, like Gen Zs and millennials,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of Research & Knowledge at the association.
“For a variety of reasons, this is definitely developing into a longer-term trend.”
The key to a good non-alcoholic or zero-proof cocktail?
Khalid said one of his goals is to provide a drink that has “a beginning, a kind of mid-palate and a finish,” replicating the complex nature of a good wine, beer or mixed drink.
“Any bar now worth their salt is giving attention, menu real estate, and I'd say honor, to cocktails that do not have alcoholic content,” Williams said in his "News Hour" interview.
If you’re new to the non-alcoholic drink world, it may appear daunting.
But it turns out you can do more than simply accommodate friends and family who don’t partake — you can impress them even more with creative social beverages.
Wine
If you have a wine connoisseur who can’t imbibe any alcohol for New Year’s Eve, these days, there are far better options than grape juice.
There are numerous companies in the non-alcoholic wine game, including Fre, which is available at Fine Wine and Good Spirits.
Described by its creators as “a refined alternative to blasé sodas and favored water,” the company sources its fruit from California vineyards and removes the alcohol “while preserving the wine’s delicate flavors.”
Owned by winemaker Sutter Home, Fre has earned enough acclaim to be poured daily at Sutter Home family Vineyards’ Highway 29 tasting room in St. Helena.
The brand features a selection including a Premium Red Blend, a White Zinfandel, a Brut, and more, generally retailing for about $10 per bottle or less.
Hop water
For fans of the complex flavor provided by hops, there are plenty of sparkling hop waters out there.
According to The Original Growler Guys, hops provide bitterness, flavor, aroma, and preservation to beer or other beverages.
Flavor can range from floral to citrus to herbal to spicy, any of which can be accented or balanced by the bitterness of boiled hops.
That means that with the right blend of hops, you can produce all sorts of varieties of nuanced drinks without the use of alcohol or sweeteners.
HOPWTR features flavors such as blood orange, described as “bright, citrusy, [and] hoppy,” and a lime version with “tart, sunny, [and] hoppy” notes.HOPWRT
HOPWTR may be among the most recognizable brands in the game, as it has made itself to stores across the country.
The brand features flavors such as blood orange, described as “bright, citrusy, [and] hoppy,” and a lime version with “tart, sunny, [and] hoppy” notes.
It also has a few special selections, such as lemonades and a double-hopped version “dry hopped for extra bold flavor” that won the World Beverage Innovation Award in 2024.
Other companies, such as Athletic Brewing Company, have joined the hop-infused sparkling water game, offering up flavors like cranberry apple, mixed berry and mango.
Even some local brewpubs have thrown their hat in the ring, including Birthright Brewing Company, which has its own hop water available in cans.
Mocktails
Looking to wow your guests with your mixology skills? Grab a shaker or two tall glasses to make the following:
Virgin mojito (Nojito)
Ingredients:
- Mint
- Lime wedge or wheel
- Sweetener (stevia, sugar, simple syrup)
- Club soda and/or lemon-lime soda
- Ice
Directions:
- Combine ingredients a shaker with ice and shake.
For those without a shaker:
- Squeeze lime juice into a cup and combine the remaining ingredients including ice in the same cup.
- Use a second, empty cup to pour the liquid in and out of several times OR stir ingredients together in one cup.
Pro-tips: For extra flavor, combine real fruit into shaker or use fruit puree. Also, slap mint leaves before combining to extract oils for flavor.
Orange Crush
Combine the following ingredients into a shaker or a cup:
- Orange juice
- Sweetener (stevia, sugar, simple syrup)
- Ice
Top with lemon-lime soda.
Pro-tips: If you prefer an orange creamsicle, add whipped cream to your mixture before shaking. For a sweeter result, try using vanilla syrup for your sweetener.
Craftmix can serve as an alternative for those looking for a labor-reduced option. The instant cocktail mix can also be used for mocktails by using still or sparkling water instead of liquor.
The company currently sells the following flavors: cranberry vanilla, spiked apple cider, espresso martini, strawberry mule, classic margarita, skinny margarita and mango margarita.
Also, cozy hot chocolate and black cherry old fashioned, blood orange mai tai, blueberry lemonade, mint mojito, passionfruit Paloma.
It also sells a margarita variety pack, a regular variety pack (with strawberry mule, passionfruit Paloma, blood orange mai tai and mango margarita, holiday variety pack (with spiked apple cider, espresso martini and cranberry vanilla).
Craftmix isn't regularly sold in stores, but two Lehigh Valley businesses sell their products according to the company's retailer map.
They are Social Still Distillery, 530 E. 3rd St., Bethlehem and Kitch'n, 2430 Butler St., Easton.
