A SOBERING THOUGHT

A cultural shift towards better drinking has headlined zero proof drinks, which are artisanal, complex and sophisticated, creating an adult beverage experience that offers premium non-alcoholic alternatives.

- AMIN ALI

Hopping across some of the best bars around the world—from Dubai to Sydney and London to Singapore—there is one pattern that’s hard to miss.

Nights out are less about excess and more about quality time, conversation, and how you want to feel the next morning. Recently, preferences had started to shift from straight spirits to cocktails. In that continuing shift, a new kind of drink has come into focus. A complex, carefully structured, artisanal beverage made using high quality ingredients and entirely alcohol-free.

Welcome to the world of zero proof or ‘no alcohol’ cocktails. These are not the high sugar variants, that liberally use syrup and juice mixed with soda and are popularly served as mocktails. These beverages are being designed with the same intent and technique as cocktails. And in many cases, they demand even more precision. India too is moving in step with this global trend. As our bar culture matures, zero-proof drinks are no longer a token selection at the end of the menu. In fact, these are as prominent as alcoholic drinks.

At Barbet & Pals in Delhi, co-founder Jeet Rana explains that the bars can no longer take non alcoh Bar educator and beverage consultant Nitin Tewari, Iki & Gai founder Sarthak Batra, a zero proof drink from Iki & Gai, Roselle Kombucha and Jaggery and warm spiced two ache at Barbet & Pals and Varun Sharma, Head of Bars at Comorin olic drinks section lightly. He asserts language matters. “We don’t treat zero-proof cocktails as mocktails,” he says and adds, “For us, they're proper drinks, just without alcohol.” The structure of the drink, he explains, remains the same. It has balance, acidity, texture, bitterness and finish.