Mocktails: Not Just for Teetotalers Anymore in Jupiter
By Jan Norris
For a variety of reasons, diners are cutting back on alcohol intake, but they still want a fun experience when going out to eat. For those drinkers, restaurants and bars have added mocktails to their bar lists. Most stand alone rather than rely on alcohol as a flavor. They are as creative and tasty as their spirited cousins, with mixologists offering up housemade mixes, herbal tinctures and more to slake thirsts and palates.
Here’s a look at some worthy of a non-alcoholic Happy Hour.
From the Parched Pig, the bar adjunct to Coolinary in Palm Beach Gardens, alcohol-free drinkers can order Arnold’s Garden, a drink based on chamomile tea mixed with housemade vanilla syrup, lemon juice and muddled mint.
Photo by Carri Lager
At the rebranded Nieko’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill (formerly Brick and Barrel) in Abacoa, the bar master presents the Pink Cowboy. The non-alcoholic spirit Seedlip Grove 42 is used for the base citrus flavor, along with fresh lime juice, housemade watermelon syrup, and cucumber for a refreshing sip.
Photo by Alexis Dominguez
The bars at Blackbird in Jupiter are where it’s at, starting at 4 p.m. Lucky you to get a seat outdoors, or inside in the exotic dining room. While the cocktails are potent, the mock versions bring out the base flavors. Consider Buddha’s Belly, the NA version of Confucius Says. A bracing bit of small-batch coconut Liquid Alchemist, lychee extract, and a squirt of lime make this a winner.
Photo by Alexis Dominguez
Every detail, down to the ice is replicated in the mocktails served at Hap and Hooch in Jupiter. A mix of freshly juiced watermelon, guava and lime go into the mock version of the Ducky Margarita. Pebble ice is the structure from these talented mixologists.
Photo credit: Gabriel Lopez
The hotspot in Juno Beach is the bar at Aquasan, where their glassware steals the show. The Pacific Rim-inspired theme is all over their signature drinks with a tropical island flair. Mocktails include the Bird is the Word, a fruity, minty concoction balanced with the flavors of mango, a Seville orange aperitivo, lime, mint and a touch of cinnamon for spice.
Photo by Carri Lager
