Served with a Twist: Sober or sober curious, mocktails are here to stay

As more and more people recognize the health benefits of not drinking (sorry guys — it’s delicious but not good for you), the mocktail revolution gains momentum every year. So whether you’re the DD, doing Sober September, or done with alcohol for good – your options are more vast than ever. 

Where to Go

I went to Persimmon on Hope Street, which offers a house cocktail menu that can be served either alcoholic or nonalcoholic. If you want your drink nonalcoholic, you simply request it be “neutral.” I started with the neutral Amity Island Cooler: a raspberry forward delight that had the look and taste of summer. It was jammy and citrusy, and had surprising hints of cinnamon. The complexity of this mocktail is nothing short of impressive. Next, I ordered the neutral Mai Tai and was very curious about how this traditionally boozy cocktail would be presented without the booze. The mocktail was pineapple-forward, bright and citrusy, and very pretty.

Persimmon’s cocktail menu concept is not only respectful, refreshing and inclusive, it’s delicious! I highly recommend them for food and drink (whether neutral or not!). 

Making Your Own

But you can’t dine at Persimmon every night. So I took the opportunity to try a couple nonalcoholic spirits by Seedlip, a distillery in LA. I chose the Citrus and the Herbal, and neither disappointed! It was hard to decide between the orange and lemon-forward notes of the Citrus or the fennel, dill and lime pith profile of the Herbal. Something about that Citrus called to me, though. It needed to be made into a nonalcoholic cosmopolitan! 

My grandmother loves a good cosmo, so I made this in her honor. I hope she likes it, though she may be disappointed there’s no vodka.

Not Your Nana’s Cosmo

1 ½ oz Seedlip Citrus Nonalcoholic Spirit

¾ oz lime juice

½ oz simple syrup

¼ oz cranberry juice

1 edible flower 

Add all ingredients, except the flower, to a shaker with ice, shake and strain into a coupe. Garnish with floating edible flower.

This is going to be more tart than a classic cosmopolitan because the Seedlip Citrus brings the lemon notes that aren’t usually present in a cosmo. A classic cosmo has vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice and lime juice. The Seedlip in my recipe takes the place of the vodka and the orange liqueur (it can do it all!).

So whether you’re sober for September, a day or for life, the options on liquor store shelves and on forward-thinking menus like at Persimmon are more plentiful than ever. Go forth and explore, enjoy and drink as much as you want!