It's no secret that labels like 'mocktails' and 'zero-proof' are populating the bottom of drink menus everywhere these days. An increased interest in spirit-free drinks as creative as traditional cocktails has taken hold of the restaurant and bar scene in Boston and other cities alike.
The biggest difference between making a cocktail and a mocktail is not the alcohol (or lack thereof) but the flavor of the base, says Roberto Cibrian, general manager at Fort Point cocktail destination Drink. "With mocktails, you don't have the structural background [of an alcoholic base], and you have to be more creative in your use of flavors." Cibrian says. "We actually look forward to doing them due to it stretching our creativity more."
Even though drinking culture in the city is alive and well, it can cost new restaurants in Massachusetts hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase a liquor license on the open market-and $18 cocktails can rack up a bill from a night out easily. For restaurants that can't afford a license, and for drinkers looking to save a buck (or avoid a hangover), there's an increasing demand for spirit-free beverages.
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