A Hudson Valley Map of Mocktails

In a society where alcohol consumption is often seen as a necessary component of celebration and socializing, it is refreshing to consider the possibility of celebrating without compromising one’s health. Sugar and booze together can make for a mighty hangover, tax our livers and dehydrate us. Mocktails can help us skip the occasional regrettable misbehavior of drunkenness and the brain-foggy day after. Some blends might even offer nutritional or medicinal benefits, serving as elixirs that not only taste good but also nourish the body — just in time for celebrations out and about and at home.

As someone who values their health and well-being, I have been on a quest to discover the world of mocktails. Mocktails, for those unfamiliar, are non-alcoholic mixed drinks that offer all the flavorful complexity of a cocktail without the added buzz but also without the negative effects of one-off inebriation or chronic overdosing. Most restaurants offer “virgin” versions of their cocktails, but there are also mocktails being crafted with a high level of care and creativity as their artisanal alcoholic counterparts.

More and more people are drawn to participate in the social aspect of drinking without the negative effects of alcohol. There is something deeper than joining the party going on, such as a desire to prioritize one’s health and well-being, even within the bar scene. Mocktails also offer us the option to be in the mix, so to speak, while partying with more presence and less fall out of depression, DWIs and even potential violence.

Kat Mon Dieu, a Hudson Valley local, has lived on her converted school bus, “Brigantia”, since 2016. She is currently a bus driver for a summer camp and works part-time on a nearby organic farm. She is a long-time elixir-maker and told us, “I’ve always been a nature girl. I lived on farms during my childhood and teens. I taught myself herbalism through books from the library and trial and error. I cured myself of warts on my leg by rubbing the juices of a flower pod on them. It worked. I don’t know if it was a lucky guess or if somehow my instinct was leading me. I was twelve. I’ve been obsessed with botanicals since I could toddle over to the neighbor’s garden and pluck their lovely flowers. Nature has always been my home.”

Inspired by a botanical elixir recipe she posted on Instagram, INSIDE+OUT asked her about her views of cocktails and mocktails. Recipes for two of her health-giving drinks are at the end of this column. Read on…

“I have no issues with drinking alcohol in moderation, simply because it’s a natural substance that can be found in the wild (fermented fruits, for example). It only becomes a problem when it’s used as a tool to avoid emotional pain instead of growth and healing. It’s also potentially dangerous by proxy if it creates dangerous or damaging situations, as we all know. I enjoy the occasional alcohol buzz with friends now and then. My father loved his afternoon martini and wine with dinner. I partook when I visited him. It was a culture that seemed elegant and old-timey, which his parents modeled as he was growing up. I didn’t feel the need to continue it to such a degree, but red wine was certainly part of my evenings in my 30s-40s. The urge to drink faded as I got older.

I was curious about the idea of “mocktails” as opposed to “virgin drinks” since there are more layers of flavors in mocktails and they can be created to be “healing” elixirs.

She continues, the two drinks I came up with can be sweetened to taste, and they’re both delicious as well as good for you. I brew a large batch and keep it in the fridge on tap. My son doesn’t partake in alcohol at all, and it’s a way to have a “drink” together or anytime. My urge is to experiment with a variety of herbal combinations, to find the most sublime concoction!”

As we shift towards a more health-conscious society, it is important to consider alternative ways of celebrating and socializing that prioritize our well-being. And who knows, maybe one day mocktails will be just as popular as their boozy counterparts.

Where to enjoy myriad flavor-sparked mocktails in restaurants and bars in the Hudson Valley:

Huckleberry New Paltz serves mocktails for $8, a comparative cost savings on the bill. They proudly display three mocktails on their menu–refreshing to sip on a summer day. We tried all three and were delighted, refreshed and clear-headed.

> Lavender-Ade: lavender honey, lavender bitters, lemon juice, lime juice
> Yellow Jacket: sage, lemongrass, grapefruit, lemon, seltzer
> Little Surfer Girl: mango, key lime cordial, ginger, seltzer

Lola Pizza in Uptown Kingston makes beautiful craft cocktails and some non-alcoholic counterparts to go with their delicious wood-fired pizza, salads and more. They aim to serve sober folks and designated drivers something sophisticated and beautiful. When asked, the bartenders at Lola Pizza said that 15% of customers order non-alcoholic drinks at the bar, usually as a designated driver or sober friend. Many establishments now have more than just a virgin version of a cocktail, but a carefully curated, healthy elixir of subtlety and artistic combination. Two mocktails served at Lola are:

> The Gin Sorrento: blood orange, lemon, cinnamon, and Fever Tree tonic.
> The Even Keel: ginger, apricot, lemon, honey

These drinks are creative, sophisticated, and very well-balanced, served in cocktail-appropriate glassware with garnishes. Not to mention, they’re super tasty!

Mill & Main Kerhonkson uses Seedlip, a premium brand of non-alcoholic spirits that shares a gorgeous place on their glass bar shelves. They even have a few Seedlip varieties to please all palates.

> Grove 42: A sophisticated, citrus blend of Mediterranean Orange, Lemon Peel
> Garden 108: A fresh, herbal blend of Peas & traditional garden herbs
> Spice 94: A warm, aromatic blend of Allspice and cardamom with fresh citrus notes

Mill & Main also serves CalmBucha on tap, a New Paltz-based kombucha brand that is available to take in growlers in their provisions market, as well as to enjoy in the adjacent restaurant or on their deck on the Rondout Creek. It’s a lovely fermented drink in changing weekly varieties and with probiotics to help your gut digest dinner and more.

Pharmacy Kitchen Bar in Goshen, New York, has a great sense of humor in the naming of their mixology, which they take very seriously. They use fresh, in-house pressed juices and also make their own bitters, tinctures, and tonics for their alcoholic and non-alcoholic elixirs, served with awareness of the healing benefits of these ingredients.

Hemlock Cocktail Bar Catskill in Catskill, New York, considers high-quality ingredients and a low number of ingredients to be the keys to a great elixir. Although mocktails are not currently listed on the menu, Hemlock owner Adam Minegar says that non-alcoholic cocktails are readily available and made with just as much effort as their alcohol counterparts. “Non-alcoholic drinks are a really important part of cocktail culture,” he says. “People are often apprehensive to ask, but it’s important to us to accommodate guests who don’t drink alcohol.”

Home Entertaining with mocktails.

For entertaining at home, we have a great local purveyor of mocktail mixes in Curious Elixirs of Beacon. They make their bottled concoctions with organic ingredients, no refined sugar, gluten-free, and using adaptogenic herbs for vital health. You can order these elixirs for home entertaining, but if you’re having a big party, give them two weeks in advance and impress your friends with several flavors. You can even take a flavor quiz on their website to find the one(s) best suited to your taste. Curious Elixirs Beacon Booze-free Craft Cocktails for Everyone – You can order online here: SHOP

The Cocktail Architect is another local creator couple who provides three flavors of simple syrup they call ‘enhancers’ and classes, kits and events to go with them. You can get the artisanal mixers by the bottle or with a curated event, including ingredient education, history of mixology, and bar trivia games. The events are primarily focused on spirits, but requests can be made to focus on non-alcoholic versions for their interactive experience parties; here is a blog by co-founder Yusef Austin about mindful mocktails.

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Kat Mon Dieu’s Homemade Recipes:

These concoctions are made in Kat Mon Dieu style by throwing things together without much measurement. She invites us to feel for the tastes and flavors and open up to our own senses, flavor choices and health benefits. Follow Kat’s Instagram for more of her concoctions > @katmondieu.

RED RITA MOCKTAIL
A combo of botanicals inspired by the color red.

Ingredients – Equal parts:

• Hibiscus Flower
• Staghorn Sumac Berries
• Rosehips
• Juniper Berries
• Cinnamon
• Clove (pinch)
• Maple syrup (sweeten to taste)

Directions

• Simmer in spring water.
• Allow to cool and strain.
• Serve with ice,
• Add Chile-Lime seasoning to the rim
• Garnish with lemon or lime wedge garnish

GROGU GROG MOCKTAIL
Serve your guests some healing with a batch of liver cleansing beverages. You can keep this on tap in the fridge.

Ingredients

• Fresh Turmeric
• Peppercorns
• Fresh Ginger
• Whole lemons
• Raw Honey
• Cayenne pepper
• Spring Water

Directions

• Pulse together in the blender to break down & combine ingredients.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for half an hour
• Cool and refrigerate
• Pour over ice. Enjoy!

For more and more people, feeling good and partying strong with mocktails is a delightful alternative. Luckily, the Hudson Valley is at the forefront of serving them out and about. Many of these professional, locally crafted natural concoctions, elixirs and medicinal drinks are also wonderful for serving at home.

Do you have a favorite mocktail or local place you go for mocktails? We would love to hear from you. Please reply in the comments section below to share your favorites in the mocktail world, both inside and out, for the holidays and beyond!

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