The alcohol-free cocktail isn't an oxymoron.
"Mocktails," as the boozeless concoctions have been called by some, are getting more popular — not just among millennials, who are drinking less than their parents, but among people seeking healthier lifestyles, pregnant women and people who simply don't feel like having alcohol.
![Derek Brown, a Washington, D.C., bartender and author of the book <em>Spirits, Sugar, Water, Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World.</em>](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0226979/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1999+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2019%2F05%2F25%2Fmocktails_3_slide-2aa65d964fbfbadb254d4529f4af325e67f4c653.jpg)
Derek Brown is finding ways to cater to drinkers who don't want to drink. He's a Washington, D.C., bar owner, bartender and author of the book Spirits, Sugar, Water, Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World.
At his Columbia Room bar in D.C., he says he's moving the "no-proof" cocktails from their own menu section to be alongside the boozy drinks in the main section.
Just in time for a nonalcoholic Memorial Day, Brown offers a few tasty recipes.
![Brown places a star anise on top of the Spirit-Free Lion's Tail, an alcohol-free cocktail he just made.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/db72a0c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1999+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2019%2F05%2F25%2Fmocktails_2_slide-9380cec1e1edd0b155d3672f9a3316c2f1ce1003.jpg)
An alcohol-free version of a drink usually made with bourbon:
Spirit-Free Lion's Tail
5.5-7.5 oz. coupe/(use a sour glass)
2 oz Seedlip 94
1 oz allspice-infused maple syrup*
1 oz lime juice
1/2 oz aquafaba (chickpea water)
Dry-shake, add ice and shake a second time. Strain into chilled glass. Float star anise on foamy head .
* Heat 1 cup maple syrup with 4 whole dried allspice berries for 5 minutes. Strain out allspice and allow syrup to chill.
Brown also recommends a sophisticated variation on lemonade:
Orgeat Lemonade
(adapted from Jerry Thomas' The Bar-Tender's Guide or How to Mix Drinks)
10-12 oz. highball/(use a large bar glass)
1 oz. orgeat syrup
2 oz. lemon juice
Shake well and strain into highball. Add ice and top with sparkling water to taste. Garnish with seasonal berries.
![Drink mixers for alcohol-free cocktails.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/abfc065/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1999+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2019%2F05%2F25%2Fmocktails_4_slide-b56b5e0ba3dedab8b085c1bd64947fbed8c051b9.jpg)
And for an advanced, "zero-proof" cocktail, Brown shared a recipe with some exotic-sounding ingredients:
Apollo's Crown
(Use highball glass)
1 oz bay leaf soda syrup*
0.25 oz oleo saccharum
1 dash Fee Bros. black walnut bitters
1 dropper acid phosphate
5 oz sparkling water
Build in highball. Stir to combine. Add ice. Garnish with torched bay leaf.
*Bring 10 bay leaves, 8 oz cane sugar, 8 oz water, and 2.25 g citric acid to a boil. Simmer for 10 mins. Strain, seal, and refrigerate.
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