Gone are the days when you had to sip ginger ale when socializing sans alcohol. As the sober-curious movement continues to gain steam, an increasing number of bars around the North Shore are introducing creative mocktails that are just as complex as their boozy counterparts. That’s good news if you’re doing Dry January, ditching alcohol for good, or just want to enjoy a night out without the physical repercussions at work the next morning.
“I think for a lot of people, there’s a mentality shift—a growing interest in wellness,” says Michael Fields, general manager of Privé in Andover. “We’re seeing Dry January last for months, turning into dry years.”
Thomas Morehead, head bartender at Bar 25 in Newburyport—who curated the latest mocktail menu—says nonalcoholic options are essential for ensuring that all customers feel included in a social setting.
“Our mocktail menu is as dynamic, varied, and interesting as the rest of the drink menu and doesn’t undercut the experience of our diners who abstain,” adds Alexandra Caruso, beverage director and general manager at Nightshade Noodle Bar in Lynn. “I love how excited people get that they don’t need to miss any part of the dining experience.”
Even if you’re off the wagon, there are lots of perks to opting for zero-proof alternatives—perhaps most notably: better sleep, improved energy, and last but certainly not least, no hangovers.
That said, not all mocktails are created equal, and some North Shore establishments are proving sobriety can taste just as good.
Unique tasting experiences
Given that Nightshade Noodle Bar is famous for its culinary creativity, it should come as no surprise that the nonalcoholic drink options are just as innovative.
“Spirit-free drinks are often thin and lack sensations like bitterness, heat, and smoke,” says Caruso. “We like to play with texture by using the same techniques used in craft cocktails: fat washing, aerating, and adding proteins like dairy and egg. Presentation goes a long way, too—we use beautiful glassware and garnish with care.”
Like Caruso, Chris Mroczkowski—mixologist at The Joy Nest in Newburyport—thinks the word “mocktail” is a bit of a misnomer. After all, it implies that mocktails are “mocking” alcohol—when in reality, the best zero-proof beverages aren’t trying to emulate alcohol but offering an entirely unique tasting experience. After all, without so much punch (and throat burn) from the booze, you can really appreciate all the nuanced flavors.
Nightshade Noodle Bar offers blind-tasting menus—9, 14, 21, and 30 courses—and Caruso says they often serve fully nonalcoholic pairings or break up the boozy pairings with zero-proof alternatives. It turns out there’s an advantage to this approach.
“Alcohol fills you up and can overwhelm the palate,” explains Caruso. “A spirit-free drink can be a welcome relief in the middle of a rich dining experience.”
Speaking of pairings, Sean Maher, bar manager of Ledger Restaurant & Bar in Salem notes that when devising new mocktails, he tries to incorporate some of the same ingredients that the chefs are using in the food menu to create a sense of cohesion.
Ledger has three simple and easy-sipping nonalcoholic drinks to choose from, and each strikes a delicate balance between sweet (but never cloying), sour, and spicy. For example, one fuses hibiscus, pink peppercorn, and lemon, while another combines grapefruit, lemongrass, and Thai basil.
Mroczkowski is currently working on a dedicated mocktail menu for The Joy Nest, which will debut early in 2025. In the meantime, though, he says most of the cocktails can be made without alcohol. For example, you might not even miss the bourbon in the Ginger Nightjar, which blends lemon, maple, and ginger bitters and is served with an oversized ice cube and candied ginger or dehydrated lemon wheel garnish.
But Mroczkowski also enjoys crafting custom nonalcoholic drinks. If a customer is interested in mocktails, he likes to get a sense of their flavor preferences and start experimenting from there.
Delicious details
Across the board, mixologists agree it’s often the little things that go a long way in making a nonalcoholic cocktail sing.
“I like using Earl Grey syrup—which is made by brewing Earl Grey tea strong, simmering sugar in a saucepan, and then combining the two,” says Mroczkowski.
At Privé, the base of the crowd-pleasing Orchard Stroll consists of a house-made pear or apple agua fresca.
“We slice up the fruit and put it in a water bath with sea salt, a touch of sugar, and citrus juice, and then we purée it and press it through a strainer,” says Fields. “We top it with a house-made caramel syrup and tonic water.”
The key ingredient in Privé’s Coconut Yuzu Smash—which Fields calls a “riff on the piña colada”—is the orgeat, a creamy almond syrup found in many classic tiki drinks.
Nightshade Noodle Bar changes the drink menu seasonally, and some of Caruso’s current spirit-free favorites include the Cù-Lao Ré with smoky Thai banana, lime, vanilla, cardamom, and star anise; the Coconut Margarita with smoked vanilla, lime, chili, cinnamon, and coconut cream; and the Electric Herb with Vietnamese iced coffee, nonalcoholic amaro, and mint. Nightshade Noodle Bar also features a variety of nonalcoholic beers, wine-adjacent selections, and a bittersweet Phony Negroni that’s bottled by St. Agrestis in Brooklyn.
Morehead, meanwhile, notes that fresh ingredients like house-made watermelon purée are what make the Pink Oasis Bar 25’s most popular mocktail.
“One of our staff members loves to drink our painkiller-inspired cocktail, the Coconut Crush—which features fresh pineapple, orange, and coconut purée—and I’m constantly adding different juices and ingredients to see what works and what doesn’t,” he tells Northshore magazine. “Without the overhead of alcohol costs, you can afford to push the envelope that much more.”
The right setting for sipping
Sipping those zero-proof libations just hits differently when you’re sitting in a sultry lounge with a vintage Hollywood feel.
At the Bubble Bar in Amesbury, you’ll find a small selection of equally bold mocktails—like the Anemone with dates, citrus, and nonalcoholic Campari; and the festive Gerbera, a refreshing and unexpected mix of tangerine, carrot, and caraway seed with a hint of lemon and cranberry.
Rooftop igloos are open at BOSA, a trendy Haverhill hotspot, so it’s the perfect time to head up to the roof for a Ciliega (cherry lime rickey), Nero (blackberry mint spritz), or Aranciata (blood orange smash).
REV Kitchen & Bar in Beverly is known for its unique spin on American comfort food — but you’ll also find a tasty trio of mocktail options here. Pair your salmon sliders, truffle fries, or hot honey chicken tacos with bubbly Coconut Colada, mint-infused Peach Iced Tea, or a Guava No-Jito.
What sets the mocktail menu apart at the global-inspired Alchemy Lynnfield restaurant is that it utilizes nonalcoholic spirits for even more complexity of flavor. With zero-proof rum, honey, apricot, lemon, and bitters, the Fallen Leaves is the perfect winter warmer. Or, if you’re craving something sweeter to cap off your meal, give Chai Something New a whirl: It features Seedlip Spice 94, cold brew, pecan demerara, chai tea, and nutmeg.
Whether you’re just stopping by for some shucked-to-order local oysters, or a full seafood feast, Sea Level in Salem boasts an impressive mocktail list with six different options. Menu highlights include the Pineapple Cobbler with house-made strawberry shrub, the Pearfect Lemonade with ginger syrup and a dusting of nutmeg, and the Apple Spice & Nothing Nice with a cider base, fresh lemon, and cinnamon. Plus, your drinks come with a killer view—both the Salem and Newburyport locations are set on the waterfront.
In addition to offering crave-worthy coastal Italian eats, Tonno is also ultra-accommodating to the sober crowd. Its mixologists are more than happy to remove the alcohol from any of the cocktails. In Gloucester, try the mouth-puckering Rabarbaro Paloma with rhubarb syrup, and hold the tequila. At the Wakefield location, go for a mule-like Smoke & Honey with no mezcal, or a gin-less Cucumber Kiwi Gimlet.
Most Salem locals flock to All Souls Lounge for the elevated hot dogs, grilled cheese, and retro vibes—but the mocktails are worth for a visit, too. Try the tart Blood Orange Mule with rosemary, lime, and ginger beer or the Shrub & Soda with pear and ginger shrub.
The bar at 34 Park, a modern Italian spot, is notoriously busy on a Friday or Saturday night—if you can snag a seat, though, ask for a Grape Crush, Blackberry Nojito with fresh muddled mint, or a tart, tea-infused Tropical Hibiscus with ripe tropical sour.
The Bancroft, the sleek Burlington steakhouse, prides itself on offering nonalcoholic drinks with the same fresh ingredients and creativity found in its cocktails. Options range from an Amalfi Spritz with zero-proof aperitif syrup, limoncello, and prosecco, to the Café Nuovo, an espresso martini alternative with Seedlip Spice 94, coffee syrup, and Madagascar vanilla.