It’s a misconception that zero-alcohol drinks should always be a cheaper alternative. Just don’t call them a “mocktail”.
A good non-alcoholic cocktail is light, refreshing, blessedly free of a hangover and, increasingly, comparable in cost to a traditional cocktail. So, what’s behind the price tag?
Jason Williams, group beverage director at House Made Hospitality, whose venues include Baptist Street Rec. Club in Redfern and Promenade Bondi Beach, says it’s a common misconception that the cost of a cocktail is solely driven by the amount of liquor used.
“Liquor is certainly expensive, thanks to archaic Australian tax legislation, but the non-alcoholic ingredients can often cost just as much,” he says.
“Fresh citrus juice, house-made syrups, and fresh fruit all come at a premium and are costed into any cocktail.”
Pino Montis, bar manager at CBD rooftop bar Joji, agrees. “Some of the non-alcoholic products have a lot of botanicals to give those hard flavours, and that can be expensive,” he says.
“The price of a bottle is quite hefty; some cost $30 or $40, and then you have the prep and all the rest behind it.” The Soba Clover cocktail at Joji, made with a non-alcholic gin alternative from new Australian brand Sammy Piquant, is priced at $20.
Montis says there is now a wealth of producers entering the non-alcoholic market with substitutes for spirits, beer and wine.
“They are coming out strong … they see the trend and want to take a shot at it.”
While there is no shortage of suppliers in this space, it’s not necessarily the case that companies with non-alcoholic beverages have the scale to compete with traditional alcohol producers on price.
“The fact it’s a new category with a burgeoning customer base may contribute to cost,” Williams says.
“Also, making a de-alcoholised wine, beer or ‘spirit’ means there is an extra step which may add to base costs.”
One way bars can keep labour costs down is through pre-batching classic cocktails such as the negroni, but Evan Stroeve, bartender and co-owner of The Waratah in Darlinghurst, says this task is more difficult with non-alcoholic drinks.
“Most of the time, the alcohols are a preservative as well, so if you’re batching non-alcohols, unless you’re adding preservatives, the shelf life is diminished.”
Stroeve says the bottom line is that you get what you pay for.
“If you’re using rhubarb sourced directly from a co-op in rural Tasmania, or if someone has invested a week in making kombucha, it’s going to be expensive, and that cost needs to be passed on to the consumer.”
While the price of non-alcoholic cocktails may sometimes raise eyebrows, there’s no shortage of punters willing to pay top dollar for a satisfying booze-free drink.
At the venues Williams oversees, he says non-alcoholic spicy margaritas have become as popular as wine spritzes.
Stroeve is also seeing surging growth in the category, with an almost 100 per cent increase in non-alcoholic cocktails sold over the past six months at The Waratah. He says the trend is especially pronounced among Generation Z drinkers, pointing to recent studies showing young people are increasingly moving away from alcohol consumption.
It’s not just the case that bars are shifting more units of non-alcoholic cocktails; Stroeve says the whole culture around them is changing.
“There’s more of an expectation now that the same craft, thought and attention and detail that you’d expect from a regular kind of cocktail is also invested in the non-alcoholic space.”
Williams says a top modern bartender must now be adept at creating refined drinks without liquor. “Gone are the days in which a bartender can be pretentious about, or disinterested in, cocktails without alcohol.”
While the general public – and some bars – use the term mocktail, Williams prefers to avoid it. “It seems juvenile, and doesn’t label the amount of care or importance we place on having great non-alcohol cocktail options,” he says.
“For a lot of people, a mocktail was always a few juices slapped together with syrup and a mint sprig – we’re doing better than that these days!”
Three non-alcoholic cocktails to try
Nick and Nora’s, Parramatta
Ultraviolet, $15.50
Who says non-alcoholic cocktails lack theatre? A lighted rosemary sprig in the deep plum-coloured Ultraviolet adds a wisp of smoke and aromatics to an already heady mix. The tart notes of blackberry and verjuice combine with the light fizz of soda and aquafaba foam for a layered delight.
Bar Planet, Newtown
Tempo, $12
It’s not just ice-cold martinis at the Enmore Road favourite. There’s a non-alcoholic version of the sorbet and soda Scorpino, and – even better – The Tempo, a kind of grown-up Passiona with tropical notes of hibiscus and pineapple making for an addictive concoction.
Sky Bar at Shell House, CBD
The Orchard, $15
Served in a tall glass and christened with a suitably evocative name, The Orchard finds a sweet spot between tart fruitiness and the sharpness of ginger vinegar. It’s an example of how thoughtfully constructed non-alcoholic cocktails can pack the big flavours and complexity of their traditional counterparts.
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