ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – For those choosing to abstain from alcohol in the month of January, this establishment has a large selection.
Dry January, the month-long quest to pause alcohol consumption and spark conversations about sobriety and mindful drinking, means participants may find their dining experiences shifting when spirits are off the menu.
Those turning to sober lifestyles might find themselves with more options than ever – even outside of month-long challenges or 2025 resolutions, popularity of non-alcoholic drinks is high. Multiple analyses of market growth predict the industry to continually trend and yield high profits through 2030.
One Anchorage establishment is capitalizing on the potential to serve a new customer base with a non-alcoholic cocktail (or mocktail) menu. South Restaurant + Coffeehouse bar manager Trey Sanford said their menu features cocktails sans alcohol year-round, but at the beginning of this year they’ve added some new features.
“People are just more healthy and mindful about their drinking these days and we want to be able to keep up with them,” Sanford said.
He explained the restaurant shies away from the term mocktail and the image it conjures for customers. “It’s a little saccharine, maybe pastel hued and it’s sort of served in a pint glass.” Instead, they prefer to call their drinks “zero proof.”
“We wanted to put as much attention into this as we put into our broader cocktail program,” Sanford said as he presented the two drinks from the restaurant’s monthly “fresh sheet.” One inspired by a spicy margarita was created by over-brewing gunpowder green tea to mimic the body and flavor of tequila.
A coconut-lavender highball inspired by purple Empress gin uses the same butterfly pea powder ingredient as Empress to infuse a violet hue into the gin-free drink and make a drink equally deserving of a photo shared to social media.
Sanford said he’s happy serving zero-proof because it allows everyone to participate instead of people who opt not to drink being forced to enjoy a soda, water or tea at a fine dining experience.
“Bartending, only so much of it is making drinks, more than 70% of it is hospitality,” Sanford said. “How are we not producing hospitality if we aren’t welcoming everybody who comes into these doors with open arms?”
More zero-proof events for those participating in Dry January can be found here.
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