Behind the Backbar at One of the Most Exciting Nonalcoholic Bars

"Bar Palmina cares about the details. When I first came across the space on Instagram, the thing that stood out to me was how great the drinks look. This dirty Martini looks appropriately briny, the glass elegant and frosty; this sour's got a delightful froth. It sounds simple, but too often, an N/A drink doesn't look and feel like an adult one. A photographer by trade, Graziano's attention to the aesthetic of her drinks and her bar seems to come naturally."

"Of course, though, it's not all about aesthetics. Graziano uses bartending techniques like clarification and infusion, and does extensive research on the now vast-and growing-nonalcoholic spirits scene, to make drinks that taste worthy of sidling up to the bar, too. "Unfortunately there's a lot of garbage out there," she admits. "But the longer I do this, the more I find nuanced differences, the same way that you would in alcoholic spirits. Sure, there's 75 amaros, but they truly are all different.""

Bar Palmina emphasizes stagecraft and intentional design to make nonalcoholic drinking feel adult rather than like a daycare. The drinks are crafted with visual care: elegant glassware, proper frost, froths, and balanced presentation. Owner Nikki Graziano applies photographic sensibility to light, height, scent, and glass function to enhance the drinking experience. She employs bartending techniques such as clarification and infusion and researches nonalcoholic spirits extensively to build flavorful cocktails. Many N/A products are low quality, but nuanced differences exist among them, and nonalcoholic amaro can add bitterness to deepen perceived flavor alongside other spirits.

Read at PUNCH