THE NEWEST FAD AT THE WORLD’S BEST BARS? NO-BOOZE COCKTAILS.
[...] Mike Kirlan, the beverage director at Next Door American Eatery, a farm-to-table restaurant and bar chain from the sustainability-minded Kitchen Restaurant Group, has been experimenting with non-alcoholic (or “Zero-Proof,” as he calls them) cocktails for years. Next Door's even devoted an entire menu section to these tipple-less tipples, citing his clientele's interest in cleaner living, their mass appeal and his staff’s affinity for them as motivating factors.
“Our goal was to offer guests a non-alcohol alternative that was healthier than soda and more appealing than simple iced tea,” he says, naming his Strawberry-Lemon Fizz (strawberry puree, agave and lemon, topped with soda water) and a crisp take on a Lime Rickey among his top sellers. “It's fun for our bartenders to create something new, and when they nail it, there's such widespread appeal across all ages. It's also gratifying to be able to create something that's good for guests.”